Class 





American Commentary 
on the Old Testament. 




PROVERBS 

Prof. GEORGE R. BERRY 



SONG OF SONGS 

Pres. GEORGE E. MERRILL 



1 

American Baptist Publication Society 



AN 



AMERICAN COMMENTARY 



ON THE 



OLD TESTAMENT 



PHILADELPHIA 

AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY 

I420 CHESTNUT STREET 



\ 

J 



THE 

Book of Proverbs 



BY 

Prof. GEORGE R. BERRY, D. D. 

Colgate University 




LIBRARY of OONGRESS 
Two Copies rteuavcu 

MAY 27 1«U5 

. Cupyngiii Limy 

CLASS O, AXc Mm 
/63 2.7 g 

COPY 8. 
I ill nmnw i ■ n 



Copyright 1904 by the 
Ameeican Baptist Publication Society 



Published December, 1904 



ffrom tbe Society's own ptesa 



INTRODUCTION 



I. The Date and Authorship op the Book op Proverbs. 

A. The general question. The view has been held by some in the past that 
Solomon was the author of the whole book, the names Agur and Lemuel which 
appear as those of authors in chap. 30 and 31 being merely descriptive designa- 
tions of Solomon. This view was never very widely held and has been generally 
abandoned, so that it is not necessary to give it detailed consideration. 

Two general views concerning the date and authorship of the book are now 
quite commonly held. One is that most or all of the book was written and col- 
lected in pre-exilic times, Solomon being the author of a greater or less amount, 
but at any rate of the kernel of the book. The other is that the book was all 
written and collected in late post-exilic times, none of it being written by Solomon. 
The dates assigned for the final collection of the book vary from about 350 to 180 
b. c, the time of the composition of the various parts being supposed to cover about 
a century. Most of the recent writers on the book hold the second view. In 
considering this question there will be noticed, first, the arguments adduced in 
favor of the late date, with answers to them ; and second, the arguments that 
may be offered in favor of the early date. 

1. The arguments in favor of the late date. The arguments of this kind here 
considered will be chiefly those found in the recent commentaries of Wildeboer, who 
favors a date for the final collection of about 250 b. c. ; Frankenberg, whose date is 
not earlier than 180 b. c. ; and Toy, whose date for the completion is "in the second 
century B. c." These arguments are of two kinds, arguments from language, and ar- 
guments from the substance of the book, including thought and historical allusions. 

(1) Arguments from language. These, without referring to the Hebrew, can 
only be considered in a very general way. These arguments are of three kinds : 
a. from the occurrence of some late Hebrew words ; b. from the occurrence of some 
Aramaisms, or words borrowed from the Aramaic ; and c. from the occurrence of 
one or two late syntactical constructions. In general answer it may be said that 
in a book like Proverbs, which is avowedly a compilation, unless such usages were 
quite numerous they would at most indicate that some verses might be post-exilic, 
but not that the whole book must be. Also the number of late Hebrew words 
and Aramaisms is much less than has sometimes been claimed, although it may 
be admitted that there are a few. More specifically : (a) In the lists of late 
Hebrew words are often placed those which occur outside of Proverbs only in 
books which are considered by some late, by others early. It is plainly illegitimate 
to put much dependence upon these. Even the few words which do occur only in 
Proverbs and in books certainly late should be used with caution. It is quite pos- 
sible that they are old Hebrew words which do not occur elsewhere in the early 



vi 



INTRODUCTION 



literature because of the scantiness of the Hebrew literature. When only a few 
such words are found in a book, as is the case in Proverbs, they are by no means 
a sure indication of lateness. (6) 31 : 1-9 is the only part of the book conspic- 
uous for Aramaisms, there being four in these few verses. This is undoubtedly 
one of the latest parts of the book, and probably of foreign origin. It is also true 
that Aramaisms may and do occur in small numbers in books admitted to be pre- 
exilic ; e. g., the Song of Songs, (c) The syntax is almost always entirely of the 
classical type, and favors the early date. 

(2) Arguments from the substance of the book, including thought and histor- 
ical allusions. Here only the most prominent arguments will be considered. 
a. The book contains no mention of polygamy, which was so common before the 
exile ; monogamy is assumed throughout, b. It contains no mention of idolatry, 
which was so common in pre-exilic times, c. There is no evidence in the historical 
and prophetical books of the existence of the wise before the exile, as a distinct 
class, like prophets and priests, as they appear to be in the book. d. The wise are 
sometimes spoken of by the prophets in pre-exilic times, to be sure, but usually in 
an unfavorable way, as deceivers of the people, e. There is no evidence before the 
exile of the influence of men holding such views as those found in Proverbs. If 
such men had been active they would have been a powerful aid to the prophets, 
and some distinct traces of such activity should be found in the prophetical and 
historical books. /. The philosophical conceptions of the book are thought to 
have been due to Greek influence, in particular the identification of knowledge 
and virtue which is so characteristic of the book. g. The book of Proverbs is 
claimed to recognize the existence of the Law and the Prophets as formal collec- 
tions, which, it is said, could only be true after the exile, h. The book is claimed 
to show substantially the same characteristics of thought and expression, and indi- 
cations of date, as the book of Ecclesiasticus, whose date was about 180 b. c. 

Of these arguments, a-c and e are arguments from silence, and as such neces- 
sarily to be used with great caution. So far as the silence of the book concerning 
polygamy and idolatry is concerned, it is a sufficient answer to say that these 
matters were not in the line of the main thought of the writers of Proverbs. " The 
wise men took for granted the main postulates of Israel's creed, and applied them- 
selves rather to the observation of human character as such, seeking to analyze 
conduct, studying action in its consequences, and establishing morality upon the 
basis of principles common to humanity at large. On account of their prevailing 
disregard of national points of view, and their tendency to characterize and esti- 
mate human nature under its most general aspects, they have been termed, not 
inappropriately, the Humanists of Israel." 1 This answer appears especially satis- 
factory when it is remembered that nearly all the subjects of greatest prominence 
in the rest of the Old Testament are not mentioned in Proverbs. A. B. Davidson, 
in " Proverbs " in the "Encyclopaedia Brittanica," mentions some of these subjects, 
noting, aside from polygamy and idolatry, the importance of the ritual, priests, and 
all the important themes so prominent in the prophets, such as the kingdom of 
God, the nation as a chosen people, the Messiah, the latter day, etc. Argument c, 
the non-appearance of the wise as a distinct class before the exile, is answered by 

1 Driver, Introduction. 



INTRODUCTION 



vii 



saying that in one passage they are mentioned as a recognized class along with 
priests and prophets (Jer. 18 : 18), and in other passages there are incidental allusions 
to them. Argument d, from the unfavorable mention of the wise by the prophets, is 
answered by the fact that the prophets often speak unfavorably also of the prophets. 
There were true and false prophets, doubtless also there were worthy and unworthy 
wise men. That there is no account of the influence exerted by the wise men, 
argument e, is doubtless due to the fact already mentioned, that their sphere of 
thought and activity was quite different from that of the prophets. 

In answer to argument /, it is sufficient to say that the resemblance to Greek 
philosophy is very slight, the differences marked. If Greek philosophy had exerted 
its influence, one would expect a difference in the whole spirit and tone of the 
book. In fact it is misleading to speak of the book as philosophical at all, the 
element of speculation being conspicuously absent. In passages where it seems at 
first sight to be present, particularly in chap. 8, the treatment is that of the poet, 
not of the philosopher. 

In answer to argument g, the assumed existence of the Law and Prophets 
as collections, it may be simply said that there is no evidence for the assump- 
tion. There is no reason to think that law in Proverbs is ever used of a written 
collection, not even in 29 : 18 ; see note there. It is used regularly in the earlier 
sense of teaching, by the author, by one's parents, by Wisdom, etc. It may be 
added, however, that even if it did mean here the Mosaic Law, most critics would 
think that there is a sense in which the term could be used in pre-exilic times. 
There is no reference at all to the existence of the Prophets as a collection of 
writings ; the only passage that refers to the activity of the prophets, 29 : 18, hav- 
ing reference not to a written collection, but to the activity and work of living 
prophets. The many allusions in the book to earlier writings, with no reference 
to formal collections, would of course have nothing to do with the question. 

In answer to argument h, it may be said that the undoubted resemblances to 
Ecclesiasticus may be adequately accounted for by the familiarity of the writer of 
Ecclesiasticus with "the law, the prophets, and the other books of our fathers," 
mentioned in the prologue. On the other hand, the differences between Proverbs 
and Ecclesiasticus are marked. Some of these differences are the following : The 
conception of the wise man is entirely different. In Ecclesiasticus the wise 
man is simply a scribe learned in the law, and wisdom is doing the law. This 
appears from such passages as 19 : 20 : "All wisdom is the fear of the Lord ; and 
in all wisdom is the doing of the law." In Proverbs of course this conception of 
wisdom is not found at all. In Ecclesiasticus sacrifice and ritual are prominent 
and highly regarded, see especially 35 : 1-11. In Proverbs they are only alluded 
to, not made prominent ; sacrifices are spoken of five times (7 : 14 ; 17 : 1 ; 15 : 8 ; 
21 : 3, 27), somewhat unfavorably, while the priests and the temple are never men- 
tioned. In Ecclesiasticus the presence of the galling yoke of foreign domination 
is evident, see especially 36 : 1-17 ; in Proverbs there is no trace of it. 

2. We turn now to some positive arguments for the pre-exilic date, of which 
the following may be mentioned : (1) The main teaching of the book concerning 
the great problem of God's government of the world is this : the good will prosper, 
the wicked will be punished, in this life. 12 : 21 sums up the general teaching of 



viii 



INTRODUCTION 



the book on this point : "There shall no mischief happen to the righteous; but 
the wicked shall be filled with misfortune." There is no real suggestion of doubt 
of this doctrine, not even in the so-called skeptical portion, 30 : 1-4. This is the 
pre-exilic doctrine, not the exilic nor post-exilic, when the experience of suffering 
through which the nation passed led to doubt of this teaching and to a deeper 
view of the problem. A. B. Davidson, in "Proverbs," "Encyclopaedia Brittanica," 
says : "The Proverbs appear to signalize the stage of Hebrew thought anterior to the 
book of Job. " If there is any regularity in the development of thought among the 
writers of the Old Testament, which is so often, and rightly, insisted upon at the 
present time, the book of Proverbs must precede Job and Ecclesiastes, as well as the 
book of Ecclesiasticus, because in all of these books doubt of a doctrine, which is that 
of Proverbs, finds a prominent place. (2) There are frequent allusions in Proverbs to 
a king. There is no hint that he is a foreigner, as he must have been after the exile. 
In several passages, such as 24 : 21 (see 1 Kings 21 : 10) ; 16 : 10, 12, 13 ; and 
20 : 8, 26, he is represented as righteous and promoting righteousness, which could 
only have been true at certain periods before the exile. (3) The passage already 
quoted, "Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint " (29 : 18), is appro- 
priate to pre-exilic times when prophets were active, but not to a time long after 
the exile, when there were no prophets. (4) It is strange that no Persian or Greek 
words are found in the book if the collection and most of the writing belong well 
into the Greek period. (5) The titles which attribute portions of the book to Sol- 
omon should be allowed some weight in favor of the pre-exilic date. 

For these reasons it seems exceedingly probable that at any rate the main 
part of the book of Proverbs, and perhaps all of it, was written in the time before 
the exile. The question how much of the book Solomon wrote will be discussed 
in the more detailed consideration. 

B. The date and authorship of the different portions of the book. A more specific 
inquiry may now be made into the question of the date and authorship. The main 
divisions of the book are the following : Chap. 1 to 9 is a connected discourse in 
praise of wisdom, in the form of advice to a son or scholar ; 10 : 1 to 22 : 16 is a 
section attributed to Solomon in the title (10 : 1), " The proverbs of Solomon " ; 22 : 
17 to 24 : 22 is a section called in 22 : 17 "the words of the wise " ; 24 : 23-34 is 
a similar section headed by the statement in 24 : 23, "These also are sayings of 
the wise " ; chap. 25 to 29 constitute another section attributed to Solomon by the 
title in 25 : 1, "These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah 
king of Judah copied out " ; chap. 30 is headed by the title in 30 : 1, "The words 
of Agur the son of Jakeh " ; 31 : 1-9 is described in 31 : 1 (see note there), as "The 
words of Lemuel king of Massa" ; the book is concluded by the beautiful alpha- 
betic poem, 31 : 10-31, which is anonymous. 

Two portions, 10 : 1 to 22 : 16 and 25 to 29, containing more than half the 
book, are ascribed to Solomon. It is these portions which furnish the natural 
starting-point for the discussion. The portion chap. 25 to 29 is ascribed to Solo- 
mon, but its collection to a commission appointed by King Hezekiah. The man- 
ner of collection of 10 : 1 to 22 : 16 is not stated or implied. The question of 
authorship of these two portions really resolves itself into the two related ques- 
tions : Are these titles reliable? If so, how much do they mean? As to the re- 



INTRODUCTION 



ix 



liability of the titles, there is no reason, as will be seen, for thinking that Solomon 
wrote either of them. Nevertheless, in this case it would seem that they are reliable, 
for three reasons : (1) If most of Proverbs is pre-exilic, a question already considered, 
there is no positive reason to be given why these portions should not be to some 
extent the work of Solomon. (2) The titles mutually confirm each other, and are 
further confirmed by the title in 1 : 1, and by the notice in 1 Kings 4 : 32 that Solo- 
mon spoke three thousand proverbs. Solomon's reputation as a speaker of prov- 
erbs was such that it would be surprising indeed if none uttered by him had been 
preserved. (3) The titles are further confirmed by the fact that the historical situa- 
tion is in harmony with the time of Solomon in the whole of the first section, 10 : 

1 to 22 : 16, and in a large part of the second section. 

Considering now specifically the first of these two collections we ask : How 
much does the title in 10 : 1 mean ? It seems to be evident that it does not mean 
that Solomon wrote down these proverbs. It is to be noticed that 1 Kings 4 : 32 
does not mention that Solomon wrote proverbs, but that he spoke them. Neither 
does it mean that he spoke all of these proverbs, but only that he is the author of a 
prominent part of them, with which the others are in general harmony. This is a 
common use of such titles in the Old Testament as well as in other books. The 
chief reasons for thinking that Solomon was not the author of all these proverbs are 
the following : (1) It is hardly likely that he would himself utter the proverbs con- 
cerning the king. Those of this collection speak especially of the power of the king, 
as in 16 : 14, 15 ; 19 : 12 ; 20 : 2 ; and they are always favorable rather than unfavor- 
able, as in 16 : 10, 12, 13 ; 20 : 8, 26, 28 ; 21 : 1 ; 22 : 11. They may therefore 
have been written during the better part of the reign of Solomon, or may have been 
written later than his time. (2) There are many cases in which the same proverb 
is repeated in this collection, either with no change or with some change of special 
interest, which of course would hardly have been the case if Solomon had made the 
collection, and it is not likely that both in their present form were spoken by Solo- 
mon. Thus 16 : 25 and 14 : 12 are identical, 19 : 5 and 19 : 9 very nearly. In eighteen 
cases a part of the language is the same, and the thought and expression are very 
similar, but with noticeable changes. These are 10 : 1 and 15 : 20 ; 16 : 2 and 21 : 

2 ; 10 : 2 and 11 : 4 ; 13 : 14 and 14 : 27 ; 10 : 15 and 18:11; 10 : 6 and 10 : 11 ; 
10 : 8 and 10 : 10 ; 18 : 12, 15 : 33, and 16 : 18 ; 11 : 13 and 20 : 19 ; 12 : 14 and 
13 : 2 ; 14 : 31 and 17 : 5 ; 11 : 21 and 16 : 5 ; 14 : 20 and 19 : 4 ; 16 : 28 and 17:9; 
19 : 12 and 20 : 2 ; 19 : 25 and 21 : 11 ; 20 : 10 and 20 : 23 ; 21 : 9 and 21 : 19. In 
several of these one half is the same or nearly the same in both, the other differ- 
ent. In part of these the proverb in one form is antithetic, in the other not. 
Such is the case, e. g., in 10 : 15 : " The rich man's wealth is his strong city ; their 
poverty is the destruction of the poor," and 18 : 11 : "The rich man's wealth is 
his strong city, and as a high wall in his own imagination " ; also in 11 : 13 : "He 
who reveals (his own) secret purpose is a talebearer ; but he who conceals a matter 
is trustworthy in spirit," and 20 : 19 : "He who reveals (his own) secret purpose 
is a talebearer ; therefore have nothing to do with one easily enticed as to his lips." 
In all these passages one form may be that of Solomon, while some one else has 
in each case taken a part of the thought and added to it, making a somewhat 
different proverb. 



X 



INTRODUCTION 



There seems to be no way of precisely determining how large a part of 10 : 
1 to 22 : 16 belongs to Solomon. A few specific cases have been mentioned 
in which the Solomonic authorship seems unlikely. Some other passages of a 
similar kind may be found. In most cases there is no means of judging. No 
good reason appears for doubting, however, that a considerable portion of this 
section is the work of Solomon. Neither is there any direct evidence indicating 
when this collection was compiled. But there is no necessity for thinking of a time 
very much later than that of Solomon. The reign of Jehoshaphat, which has been 
favored by some, seems not improbable. 

The second Solomonic collection, chap. 25 to 29, differs in many ways from 
the first. In 10 : 1 to 22 : 16 each verse is complete and independent in thought, 
always contains but two lines, and is usually antithetic. In chap. 25 to 29 there 
are frequently three lines to a verse, and often two or more verses to express a 
single thought, or even as many as five verses (27 : 23-27). It is not, however, a 
connected discourse, but a collection of independent proverbs. The antithetic 
parallelism is not especially prominent. It may be called comparatively, although 
by no means absolutely, secular in tone, containing many maxims of ordinary 
prudence, while 10 : 1 to 22 : 16 is more distinctly religious. There is only one 
case in chap. 25 to 29 of two proverbs partly identical with each other, 26 : 12 and 
29 : 20 ; there are several, however, which are identical with some in the first col- 
lection, and some also which are similar. The presence of non-Solomonic proverbs 
in chap. 25 to 29 is indicated especially by the fact that when the king is spoken 
of it is unfavorably rather than favorably, in 28 : 15, 16 ; 29 : 12, 26 ; see also 25 : 5, 
6 ; and also by the occurrence of passages which speak of the rise of the wicked 
to prominence and power (28 : 12, 28 ; 29 : 2, 16.) Both classes of proverbs were 
plainly written under a bad king. In this collection, as in the other, there is no 
way of telling precisely what proverbs were written by Solomon ; it would seem 
probable that many were. As already stated, there appears no reason to doubt the 
statement of the title that these proverbs were collected in the reign of Hezekiah. 

Of the two small collections between the two Solomonic collections, 22 : 17 to 
24 : 22 and 24 : 23-34, hardly more can be said than is stated in the titles. It is 
evident from these that they are different collections of sayings by various wise 
men, collected by unknown hands. Their position in the book makes it probable 
that their date is quite early, so that they were added to the first Solomonic col- 
lection, 10 : 1 to 22 : 16, before the second was joined to it. 

Chap. 30 and 31 are, from their position in the book, presumably later than 
the time of Hezekiah. The name of the author of chap. 30, Agur, is stated, but of 
him nothing is known. Some have doubted whether Agur is to be regarded as the 
author of the whole chapter, but it seems probable that that is the case. The 
thought of chap. 30 (see notes), is in harmony with a date not long before, or soon 
after, the exile ; 31 : 1-9 is apparently by a foreigner, Lemuel, king of Massa. (See 
note on 31 : 1.) Concerning the circumstances of writing and of incorporation 
into the book nothing is known. The occurrence of four Aramaisms in these few 
verses is probably to be regarded as an indication of a date somewhat late, although 
they may be because of its foreign origin. The alphabetic form of the poem in 31 : 
10-31 is often cited to prove the lateness of this section. But an alphabetic poem 



INTRODUCTION 



xi 



may be early, for Ps. 9 and 10 are alphabetic, and they are generally thought to be 
Davidic. There is no other special mark of date in this portion. Chap. 31 may 
thus be exilic or post-exilic, but it probably belongs to a time soon after the exile. 

There remains to be considered the connected discourse in chap. 1 to 9. It 
might seem that the title in 1 : 1 was intended to attribute this portion to Solo- 
mon. But that Solomon was not the author appears from three considerations : 
(1) The phraseology used has marked differences from that of the Solomonic por- 
tions of Proverbs. (2) The form of writing is much different, this part being a 
connected discourse, while the Solomonic portions consist of detached proverbs. 
(3) The style is elaborate and finished. The personification of wisdom especially, 
in chap. 1, 8, and 9, being quite unlike anything in the Solomonic portions, and, 
in fact, being so elaborate as probably to indicate a date later than the time of 
Hezekiah, and hence later than any part of chap. 10 to 29. There are, however, 
marked resemblances in phraseology between this portion and the first Solomonic 
collection, 10 : 1 to 22 : 16, which may be sufficiently accounted for by supposing 
the author to have been a diligent student of that collection. This portion was 
plainly written as an introduction to the whole book then in existence, probably 
chap. 10 to 29, but designed especially for the first Solomonic collection beginning 
with 10 : 1. The title in 1 : 1 is therefore intended to apply to chap. 10 to 29, but 
especially to 10 : 1 to 22 : 16, the author regarding his own work as only intro- 
ductory. There is no indication of the name of the author. 

It seems probable, therefore, that the different divisions of the book stand in 
chronological order, except chap. 1 to 9, which chronologically belongs after chap. 
29. There is no real evidence as to specific details in regard to the compilation of 
the book, indicating by whom the different parts were put together. 

II. Some Literary Characteristics op the Book. 

1. The poetical form. The book of Proverbs consists entirely of poetry. Most 
of the poetry is of the kind called gnomic, or poetry which is made up of senten- 
tious reflections on life and society, although some portions are lyric, especially in 
chap. 1 to 9. It has the ordinary characteristics of Hebrew poetry, the chief of 
which is parallelism. By this it is meant that a certain number of lines, usually 
two, have a definite relation to each other in form, the second is constructed with 
the first in mind, so that it is not the single line which is the unit of poetic struc- 
ture, but ordinarily two lines. The three common forms of Hebrew parallelism 
are found in Proverbs, synonymous, antithetic, and synthetic. In synonymous 
parallelism two successive lines express the same or nearly the same thought in 
somewhat varied language, as in Prov. 2 : 11 : "Discretion shall watch over thee ; 
understanding shall keep thee." In antithetic, the thought of the second line is in 
contrast with that of the first, as in Prov. 13 : 3 : "He that guardeth his mouth 
keepeth his life ; but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction." In 
synthetic parallelism the second line supplements or completes the thought of the 
first, as in Prov. 16 : 3 : " Commit thy works unto Jehovah, and thy purposes shall 
be established." 

So far as rhythm is concerned, all that seems sure is that in lines that are re- 
lated to each other there is a certain similarity in the length. As a full discussion 



xii 



INTRODUCTION 



of this matter depends upon the Hebrew, however, it will be impracticable to do 
more than refer to it here. Rhyme is not a feature of Hebrew poetry ; and no 
metre that is at all definite, like metre in English poetry, is to be observed. 

While the lines are ordinarily arranged in couplets, as has been said, triplets 
occur as well, although much less frequently. These couplets or triplets may be 
combined into longer forms ; thus strophes consisting of two or more of these 
smaller units may be found, all dealing with the same thought. 

In the first division of the book, chap. 1 to 9, the parallelism is almost entirely 
synonymous. In the second division, 10 : 1 to 22 : 16, there are no triplets, and 
no strophes ; each combination consists of two lines, and expresses a separate and 
independent thought. In chap. 10-15 the parallelism is very largely antithetic, 
while in the remainder of this division the synthetic is the most common form. 
In the third and fourth divisions, 22 : 17 to 24 : 22 and 24 : 23-34, the parallelism 
is very largely synthetic. In the fifth division, chap. 25 to 29, the parallelism is also 
largely synthetic, although with many examples of the antithetic in chap. 28 and 29. 
In divisions six and seven, the remainder of the book, the synthetic parallelism is 
the most common. 

The parallelism is an important aid in interpretation. This is true especially 
of the synonymous and the antithetic. The assistance afforded arises chiefly from 
the fact that by means of parallelism a less definite word in one line may be de- 
fined by a more definite one in the other. Ordinarily the service of parallelism 
cannot go beyond this. It must be granted that the parallelism in Proverbs is 
very often not precise in form. An attempt to secure greater precision often leads 
to the giving of unwarranted meanings to particular words, or to arbitrary emen- 
dation of the text. 

2. Other general literary characteristics. Some of these are implied in the 
very nature of a proverb, such as brevity and sententiousness. The frequent occur- 
rence of antithesis is also in harmony with the proverbial form of expression. 
Similes and metaphors, many of which are very striking, are often employed. 
Especially in the first nine chapters occur also prolonged but vivid descriptions. 
The personification of wisdom is carried out with great skill, particularly in the 
eighth chapter. It is not a defect, but rather a necessity, of proverbs that they 
should be disconnected, and have often an appearance of monotony. 

III. The Purpose and Teaching of the Book. 

Inasmuch as Proverbs has several authors, and several compilers, it would be 
quite conceivable that the purpose should vary in different parts. At first sight, 
also, the disconnected nature of much of the book would give the impression that 
it consists simply of isolated observations upon life, unrelated to each other. Yet 
in reality a marked unity is observable upon further study. The dominant purpose is 
stated explicitly in 1 : 1-6, while other parts of the book serve to explain more fully 
the statements here made. The purpose thus stated is to teach wisdom to men, 
especially to the young and inexperienced, but also to those who have already some 
knowledge of wisdom. This is intended not only for their intellectual equipment, 
but for their practical guidance as well ; the purpose of the book is distinctly 
practical. 



INTRODUCTION 



xiii 



The conception of wisdom, or knowledge, as found in the book is a compre- 
hensive one. It is this conception which gives unity to the teachings. Wisdom 
is a general term for all that is desirable in character, folly for all that is undesirable. 
Wisdom consists fundamentally in a right relation to God ; the life in accordance 
with wisdom is one that follows God's plan. In fact, wisdom is found in the life 
of God as well as of men. In wisdom are thus included all things that should be 
found in the highest form of life, the religious feature is dominant, the intellectual 
life is included, the daily life is characterized by the presence of good and absence 
of evil in outward acts. In brief this is stated in the text of the book, 1:7: "The 
fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge." 

This teaching concerning the religious nature of wisdom is the most promi- 
nent religious teaching of the book. The teaching concerning sin is also prominent. 
Sin is disobedience to God's commands. Sin brings punishment of various kinds, 
in general suffering and disaster, and often premature death. There are hints con- 
cerning a future life with rewards and punishments ; see note on 11 : 7. 

Of philosophical teaching or philosophical purpose in the book there is really 
none, although there is often claimed to be. The book, it is said, identifies virtue 
with knowledge. This is true, and yet this is not to be regarded as in reality a 
philosophical feature, but rather as a religious and practical one. For the practical 
purpose of the writers of Proverbs men are divided into two classes, those who 
know the right and do it, and those who do not know it and do not do it. The 
other class, so common in experience, those who know the truth and do it not, are 
simply ignored for practical purposes ; their existence is not denied, but they are 
left out of consideration. Here, as elsewhere, partial or extreme statements of 
truth are a necessary feature of teaching by proverbs. 

There is in the book really nothing of the speculative element. The teachings 
concerning wisdom are closely related to philosophical questions concerning the 
greatest good and the chief end of man. Yet these teachings are here religious, 
not philosophical. The conclusions from observation of men and manners are in 
terms of religion rather than philosophy. It is not the philosopher but the poet 
who speaks in the picture of personified wisdom in chap. 8 ; the chapter is really an 
expression of the thought : all God's creative activity was in wisdom. 

Allusion has already been made to the consideration in the book of the great 
problem of God's relation to man, especially in the treatment respectively of the 
good and the evil. This question is not directly treated so often as it is implied. 
The unquestioning tone of the book on this point shows that no real problem is 
recognized ; the teaching of the book is uniform that the good have temporal pros- 
perity, the evil temporal adversity. This teaching is not pushed to a great extreme, 
however. It is recognized that there may be inequalities of fortune for both 
classes, the good may be poor, the wicked rich. But such conditions are regarded 
as only temporary. 

It is not, however, simply a utilitarian scheme of life that is presented in the 
book. The purpose of the Proverbs "is not to bribe with offers of advantage, but 
to exclaim against the folly of thinking that there could be any path towards ad- 
vantage except through right doing." 1 Often, also, the emphasis is not placed 
1 Moulton, " The Proverbs," in " The Modern Reader's Bible." 



xiv 



INTRODUCTION 



upon the rewards of right doing, but rather on the inherent attractiveness and worth 
of the right life. 

Since proverbs in the nature of the case rest upon observation, it is only what 
would be expected that many here found are secular in tone, i. e., not distinctly 
religious in their teaching. In these is merely formulated the result of observa- 
tion, without the expression of any ethical judgment. This is simply because 
wisdom is so comprehensive that it brings all life within its scope. There is, how- 
ever, nothing irreligious in these cases, the religious element is by implication fun- 
damental. It is not correct to say that in these cases wisdom means something 
different from its meaning in other cases, that it means simply observation. The 
meaning is rather that wisdom, whose fundamental element is religious, has to do 
with all life, so that shrewd observations upon the phases and phenomena of life are 
included in its scope. 

The general ethical tone of the book is very high, as high as that of any part 
of the Old Testament, and in some places it approximates closely to New Testa- 
ment teaching. It deals largely with external acts, yet it emphasizes the fact that 
these are the expression of the inner life. Formalism is regarded as of no worth, 
the ceremonial observances are largely ignored, and when recognized it is stated that 
their value does not lie in the external form. This is illustrated by the teaching 
concerning sacrifices, which is the same as that of the prophets. (See 21 : 3, 27.) A 
standard very similar to that of the New Testament is found, e. g., in 20 : 22 and 24 : 
29, in which revenge is forbidden, and in 25 : 21, where kind treatment of enemies 
is enjoined. 

IV. The Canonicity op the Book. 
The Book of Proverbs belongs to the third division of the Hebrew Scriptures, 
the Writings, more often called the Hagiographa. According to rabbinical writers, 
the reception of the book into the canon was opposed by some on two grounds : 
because of the presence of contradictory statements in 26 : 4, 5 ; and because of 
too great vividness in the description of 7 : 7-20. But no great difficulty was appa- 
rently caused by these matters, and no doubt of its canonicity has been felt in 
Christian times. 

There certainly seems to be no reason for objecting to the canonicity of the 
book. Its teachings, as already noted, are pure and lofty, and some of them are 
embodied in the New Testament teachings. It seems to be often supposed that the 
inspiration of the book is of a lower order than that of the writings of the prophets. 
No reason appears, however, for that supposition. A particular message is not 
stated to be the word of Jehovah, as in the preaching of the prophets. But there 
are many passages which state or imply divine authority for the teachings, and in 
some passages there is direct identification of these teachings of wisdom given by 
the sages as the word of Jehovah. The message from Jehovah simply comes in a 
different way from that of the prophetic message, so that the element of observa- 
tion, never entirely absent, enters somewhat more explicitly. There is no ground 
for thinking of any lower degree of inspiration in the book of Proverbs than in 
other Old Testament books. There seems no reason for question as to the fact of a 
revelation made in this book, although its method is somewhat different from that 
of the revelation made to and through the prophets. 



INTRODUCTION 



xv 



V. List of Abbreviations. 
a, b,c, etc., 1st, 2d, 3d, etc., line of a verse. 



Aq., Aquila. 

A. R. V., American Revised Version. 

A. V., Authorized Version. 

G. , Septuagint. 

MT. , Masoretic Text, the Hebrew text with points. 

R. V., Revised Version, Canterbury. 

S., Peshitta. 

Sym., Symmachus. 

T. , Targum. 

Th., Theodotion. 

V. , Vulgate. 



The Commentaries chiefly referred to are designated as follows : Chajes, " Pro- 
verbia-Studien zu der sog. Salomonischen Sammlung, ' ' 16, von Dr. H. P. Chajes ; Fr. , 
" Die Spriiche ubersetzt und erkldrt," von Lie. W. Frankenberg, (" Handkommentar zum 
Alten Testament") ; Str., "Die Spriiche Salomos ubersetzt und ausgelegt," von D. 
Hermann L. Strack, (" Kurzgefasster Kommentar zu den heiligen Schriften Alten und 
Neuen Testamentes") ; Toy, "A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of 
Proverbs," by Crawford H. Toy, ("The International Critical Commentary"); Wi., 
11 Die Spriiche erkldrt," von D. G. Wildeboer, (" Kurzer Hand-Commentar zum Alten 
Testament "). Other abbreviations will probably be intelligible without explanation. 



PROVERBS 



Chap. 1. The first division of the book of 
Proverbs consists of chap. 1 to 9. There has been 
much difference of opinion concerning the di- 
vision of these chapters. Some of the views 
may well be mentioned. Str. finds a connected 
line of thought throughout chap. 2 to 7, as fol- 
lows: (1) 2 : 1-11, a general exhortation to 
strive after wisdom, which thought is expanded 
in 3 : 1-26; (2) 2 : 12-15, wisdom delivers from 
perverse ways and from the ways of perverse 
men, expanded in two passages, 3 : 27 to 4 and 
6 : 1-19 ; (3)2: 16-19, wisdom delivers from de- 
structive intercourse with adulteresses, expanded 
in the two passages chap. 5 and 6 : 20 to 7; (4) 
2 : 20-22, positive blessings conferred by the pos- 
session of wisdom. In favor of the analysis he 
refers not only to the connection of thought, but 
also to the use of language in the various pas- 
sages. There is, however, this decided objection 
to be urged against it, that the connection of 
thought is not sufficiently close to warrant class- 
ing the passages together. Division (3) is the 
only one in which the connection of thought is 
close. In division (2) there are several difficul- 
ties : 3 : 27-30 are not connected in thought with 
2 : 12-15 ; 4 : 1-13, especially 1-9, are not con- 
nected in thought with 2 : 12-15, but rather 
with 2 : 1-11 ; 6 : 1-19 are not connected closely 
with 2 : 12-15, 6 : 1-11 not at all. More in ac- 
cordance with the facts is the statement of Fr. 
that in 1 : 7 to 9 two themes are treated : (1 ) 
warnings against temptation through the suc- 
cess of the wicked ; (2) warnings against temp- 
tation through the flattering speech of adulter- 
esses. (1) is stated in 2 : 12-15, and is especially 
prominent in chap. 1 to 4 ; (2) is stated in 2 : 16- 
19, and is especially prominent in chap. 5 to 7 ; 
but there are many breaks in the thought, espe- 
cially in ( 1 ) . He regards 6 : 1-19 as a later inser- 
tion. There is much force in the statements of Fr. 
It seems evident that the chief subjects treated 
are the two mentioned by him. They cannot be 
made the basis of a complete analysis, however, 
of this part of the book. Evidently no analysis 
can be made in which a definite progress of 
thought can be traced through the whole of this 



part of the book. All that can be done, there- 
fore, is to recognize the chief divisions, and ob- 
serve the subject of each one, without co-ordi- 
nating these entirely into a unity. The general 
divisions of thought are : chap. 1:1; 1 : 2-6 ; 
1:7; 1 : 8-33 ; 2 ; 3 ; 4 ; 5 ; 6 : 1-19 ; 6 : 20 to 7 : 
27 ; 8 : 1 to 9 : 18. This division is similar to 
that given by Kamphausen and adopted by Wi. 
The subjects of these divisions, as well as the 
subdivisions, will be indicated in connection 
with each. 

Analysis of chap. 1. There are four main 
divisions: 1. Ver. 1, the title of the book. 2. 
Ver. 2-6, introductory statement giving the pur- 
pose of the book. 3. Ver. 7, the text of the book. 
4. Ver. 8-33, exhortation not to yield to the 
temptations of evil men, but to follow the coun- 
sels of wisdom. The last may be subdivided : 
(1) Ver. 8, 9, exhortation to obey parents, for 
their counsel is good ; (2) ver. 10-19, warning 
against yielding to the temptations of evil men ; 
(3) ver. 20-33, personified wisdom threatens 
punishment for the wicked and exhorts to the 
observance of her precepts. The connection of 
thought of ver. 10-19 may be thus summarized : 
Ver. 10 is a general admonition from the writer 
to the reader to avoid temptation from sinners. 
Ver. 11 introduces a specimen of such tempta- 
tions. It is in form an invitation to join in 
committing murder, in reality an invitation to 
join a band of robbers, with whom murder is an 
incident. Ver. 12-14 present the arguments for 
the acceptance of the invitation of ver. 11 : ver. 
12, there is certainty of success ; ver. 13, 14, there 
are financial advantages necessarily accruing. 
Ver. 15 introduces the conclusion to the condition 
begun in ver. 11, an exhortation from the writer 
to the reader to refrain from them entirely. 
The reason for ver. 15 is given in the statement 
of ver. 16, they may seek to disguise the fact, 
but their ways are evil, they are really mur- 
derers. Ver. 17, 18 state that this will surely 
bring disaster; they persist in evil in spite of 
the fact that the resulting disaster is so plainly 
in sight, but their own lives will pay the pen- 
alty. Ver. 19, the general conclusion of the 

17 



18 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. L 



CHAPTER I. 



1 THE Proverbs of Solomon the Son of David, 
king of Israel ; 

2 To know wisdom and instruction ; to perceive 
the words of understanding ; 

3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, 
and judgment, and equity ; 

4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young 
man knowledge and discretion. 



1 THE proverbs of Solomon the son of David, 
king of Israel : 

2 To know wisdom and instruction ; 

To discern the words of understanding ; 

3 To receive instruction in wise dealing, 

In righteousness and judgement and equity ; 

4 To give subtilty to the simple, 

To the young man knowledge and discretion : 



writer from the preceding. The connection of 
thought of ver. 20-33 may be summarized : Ver. 
20, 21, wisdom is personified and introduced as 
speaking in the city. Ver. 22, 23, the fools are 
invited to turn to wisdom and become wise. 
Ver. 24-28, rejection of such invitations will 
result in the coming of days of disaster in which 
they will apply to wisdom for help and be re- 
fused. Ver. 29, 30, reason for the refusal. Ver. 
31, further statement of the evil consequences. 
Ver. 32, 33, statement of the general principle : 
rejection of wisdom brings disaster, even death ; 
acceptance brings prosperity. 

1. Although the title, see Introduction, this 
verse is closely connected with the following 
verses, as is shown by the fact that grammatic- 
ally they belong with it. Proverbs. The 
Hebrew word so rendered, ^ashal, is one 

concerning whose general meaning and origi- 
nal force there is much difference of opinion. 
The probability is, however, that the original 
meaning of the verb from which it is derived, 
Vc/D, mdshal, is to be like. This may be inferred 
with approximate certainty from the fact that 
it is the meaning found in a few examples in 
the Hebrew, and is the only meaning found 
in the same verbal root in the Arabic, Ethi- 
opic, Aramaic, and Assyrian. The meaning 
stand for, represent, given as the original mean- 
ing in Ges.-Buhl 13 , B. D. B., and elsewhere, 
is not so probable as the one just mentioned, 
because it is only found in a derived stem of 
the Arabic, and can easily have come from 
the other meaning. The fundamental meaning 
of the noun is therefore likeness. By B.D.B. 
the word has been thought to refer simply 
to the parallelism of clauses, and by Toy to 
be a description of all poetry as " made by the 
juxtaposition of related ideas," but both these 
explanations seem too superficial, and fail to 
account for the fact that the word is seldom if 
ever used simply to describe poetry as such. 
Konig (" Stilistik," p. 80 f.), starting from the 
original meaning of likeness or identity, con- 
siders the meaning of the word to be sentence, 
or combination, so that it is applicable to almost 
any kind of sentence. This also is open to the 
objection that such a general meaning of the 



word seems strange in view of its very limited 
use. The obvious view is the common older 
one, that by likeness is meant a comparison. 
That the meaning has been broadened consider- 
ably beyond this in use is natural, more natural, 
in fact, than the limitation of meaning assumed 
by many. The common meanings of the word, 
then, in their probable order of development, 
are as follows: (1) A comparison, referring to 
such as are found in Prov. 10 : 26; 16 : 24. (2) 
A parable, which involves the element of com- 
parison, as in Ezek. 17 : 2 ; 20 : 49 ; 24 : 3 ; (3) 
An aphorism, a proverb. Since these often con- 
tained comparisons, it was natural that the 
meaning of the word should be broadened so as 
to include them. The proverbs may be of a 
popular nature or not. (4) It is also broadened 
still further and used of longer poems or dis- 
courses, which yet are similar to proverbs in 
being sententious or enigmatical, as in Num. 
21 : 27 ; 23 : 7 ; Isa. 14 : 4. It is interesting to 
note that the word rendered parable in the New 
Testament has a similar derivation and range of 
meanings. The meaning in this verse is (3), which 
is the only meaning found in the book of Prov- 
erbs, the other passages where it occurs being 
1:6; 26 : 7, 9 ; 10 : 1 ; and 25 : 1 ; the last two 
in titles. 

2-4. To know. The infinitives in ver. 2-4 
are dependent on ver. 1, and need something 
supplied to bring out the meaning in English, 
which is, the proverbs of Solomon are given in 
order that one may know, etc. The subject of 
the infinitive "to know" is indefinite, but re- 
fers to those intended to be instructed by the 
proverbs ; the implied subject is the same 
throughout ver. 2 and 3. 4. Here there is a 
change of subject, the subject of "to give" 
being the proverbs of ver. 1. Simple really 
means inexperienced; this may be in a good 
sense, unacquainted with evil, as in Prov. 21 : 11 ; 
Ps. 19 : 7; 119 : 130; more often in a bad sense, 
easily led astray, see especially Prov. 9 : 16. Here 
it is in a good sense. It is especially appro- 
priate to the young, who are shown by the par- 
allelism to be meant here. The young man, 
better, a young man. This indicates that the 
collection of proverbs was intended especially 



Ch. I.] 



PROVERBS 



19 



5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learn- 
ing ; and a man of understanding shall attain unto 
wise counsels ; 

6 To understand a proverb, and the interpreta- 
tion ; the words of the wise, and their dark say- 
ings. 

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowl- 
edge : but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 

8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and 
forsake not the law of thy mother : 

9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto 
thy head, and chains about thy neck. 

10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou 
not. 

11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for 
blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without 

cause : 



5 That the wise man may hear, and increase in 

learning ; 

And that the man of understanding may attain 
unto sound counsels : 

6 To understand a proverb, and a figure ; 

The words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowl- 

edge : 

But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction. 

8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, 
And forsake not the law of thy mother : 

9 For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy 

head, 

And chains about thy neck. 

10 My son, if sinners entice thee, 
Consent thou not. 

11 If they say, Come with us, 
Let us lay wait for blood, 

Let us lurk privily for the innocent without 
cause ; 



for those who are young and, as a shows, inex- 
perienced. 5. Bender : Let a wise man hear 
and increase in learning, and let a man of un- 
derstanding attain unto sound counsels. This is 
the natural and literal rendering. It is to be 
regarded as parenthetical, indicating that the 
proverbs are not intended exclusively for the 
young, but contain an exhortation to the older 
who are already wise to profit by them as well. 
6. To understand is to be connected not 
with ver. 1, but with ver. 2-4, the subject being 
the same. The understanding of ver. 6 is the 
result of the instruction of ver. 2-4. Figure 
probably means an enigmatical saying. Dark 
sayings, literally riddles, here probably a say- 
ing more or less obscure ; it may be rendered 
apothegm. 

7. The fear of the Lord (Jehovah). 1 This 
evidently means the fear of man toward Jeho- 
vah ; the same phrase in Ps. Ill : 10 ; Prov. 9 : 
10; similar in Job 28 : 28. Beginning. The 
Hebrew word sometimes means that which is 
first in value, the most important. Here, how- 
ever, the meaning is shown to be first in time, 
beginning, by the very similar verse 9 : 10, where 
another word is used which must have the latter 
meaning. Ps. Ill : 10 has the same thought, 
which is expressed somewhat more strongly in 
Job 28 : 28. This verse shows the meaning of 
wisdom in the writer's mind ; it is not simply 
philosophy or speculation, but includes neces- 
sarily a religious element. This is true in the 
usage of Proverbs as a whole, and to some ex- 
tent in the general Old Testament usage. 

8. Nearly identical with 6 : 20. My son. 
This does not indicate relationship, but is the 
address of the writer as a teacher to a learner 
supposed to be young. It thus connects itself 
with ver. 4. The phrase affords no reason for 
supposing, however, as some have done, that 

1 In cases like this the rendering 



there were formal schools in the time of the 
writer in which wise men taught. It is more 
naturally merely an indication of the literary 
form chosen, that of the instruction of a teacher 
to young men. Law. The Hebrew word here 
used, rnin, tora, had originally the meaning 
direction. From this came the similar meaning 
teaching, which was afterward given the specific 
meaning law. Here the meaning is not law, but 
teaching, as the connection shows, which should 
be the)translation. The word should be so trans- 
lated also in all the other passages in which it oc- 
curs in Proverbs, viz, 3 : 1 ; 4: 2; 6 : 20, 23 ; 7 : 2 ; 
13 : 14 ; 28 : 4, 7, 9 ; 29 : 18. See note on last pas- 
sage. 9. Chaplet means wreath, garland, as of 
flowers. Of grace means graceful, delightful. 
The same word is rendered pleasant in 5 : 19 
and precious in 17 : 8. Chains. The Hebrew 
word occurs elsewhere only in Judg. 8 : 26 ; Cant. 
4 : 9, and in both passages, as here, means an 
ornamental chain. In both clauses of ver. 9 
the thought is that this teaching is an adorn- 
ment, i. e., to the inner man. See similar 
thought and phraseology in Prov. 3 : 22, and 
similar phraseology with a somewhat different 
thought in 3 : 3; 6 : 21. 10. Sinners. This 
is the general term, but the following context 
shows that robbers and murderers are chiefly in 
mind. 11. Lay wait for blood. The phrase 
can only naturally refer to murder. All the 
verses following show that robbery for gain was 
the object ; murder does not appear as designed 
except in the comments of the writer, ver. 16- 
19. If the robbers wished to make a plausible 
showing to an inexperienced youth, it seems 
strange that they should make murder the first 
thing to be mentioned. The words without 
cause in c are even more obviously inappro- 
priate in the mouths of the robbers. Hence, in 
these statements it seems evident that we have, 
in parenthesis is that of the A. R. V. 



20 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. I. 



12 Let us swallow them up alive, as the grave ; 
and whole, as those that go down iuto the pit: 

13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall 
fill our houses with spoil : 

14 Cast iu thy lot among us ; let us all have one 
purse : 

15 My son, walk thou not in the way with them ; 
refrain thy foot from their path : 

16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to 
shed blood. . 

17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of 
any bird : 



not the actual language which the robbers are 
supposed to use, but their language interpreted 
by the writer and put in a way that expresses 
their real spirit and corresponds to the actual 
facts. They were really robbers, but murder 
■when necessary as an incidental part of the plan 
was looked upon with complacency. The ex- 
istence of such bands of robbers shows lawless 
conditions in the time of the writer, but is not 
a definite indication of date, for there must 
have been many times in the city life of Israel 
when such conditions were found. 12. The 
chief problem here is to ascertain the point of 
the comparison, in what respect the contem- 
plated action is like that of sheol or the pit. 
Num. 16 : 30, 33, and Ps. 55 : 15 are sufficient 
warrant for saying that sudden death was some- 
times described as going down alive to sheol. 
Hence, it might seem to be a natural meaning 
here, we will swallow them up alive, as sheol 
does in cases of sudden calamity. The chief 
difficulty with this view, however, is that such 
cases are decidedly exceptional, while in both 
clauses of the verse there is no indication that 
anything but the usual order of events is in 
mind. Hence, it seems better to regard the 
comparison as having reference directly to 
swallow, and to the words alive and whole 
only by way of contrast. The word translated 
swallow, in the simple stem used here, does not 
in itself mean to destroy, although that may be 
implied. In the figurative use of the word, 
the idea most naturally prominent is the com- 
pleteness of the possession gained. This is the 
thought in Ps. 69 : 15 ; Jer. 51 : 34 ; Ps. 124 : 3, 
and is to be accepted here. Sheol is sometimes 
personified as an insatiable, devouring monster, 
as in Isa. 5 : 14 ; Hab. 2:5; Ps. 141 : 7 ; Prov. 
27 : 20, and 30 : 16. Many other passages speak 
of the power of sheol, its secure grasp on all 
within its reach. Here, then, the thought is : 
We will gain complete possession of them, hold 
them in our grasp as firmly as does sheol. But 
they shall come into our power alive and sound, 
which is in contrast with the usual condition of 
those in sheol. This is introduced probably to 
show that the prominent object is robbery, not 



12 Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, 

And whole, as those that go down into the pit ; 

13 We shall find all precious substance, 
We shall fill our houses with spoil ; 

14 Thou shalt cast thy lot among us ; 
We will all have one purse : 

15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them ; 
Refrain thy foot from their path : 

16 For their feet run to evil, 

And they make haste to shed blood. 

17 For in vain is the net spread, 
In the eyes of any bird : 



murder. I*et us. Render: We will, for it is 
evident from what has been said that the thought 
is not of exhortation, but of encouragement. 
It is not an exhortation to murder, but is rather 
encouragement to robbery by showing the sure- 
ness of the outcome. 13. We shall find, 
better : We shall get. All means all kinds 
of. 14a is designed as a tempting offer. The 
newcomer is to be put on an equality with the 
others, although they had been associated to- 
gether before. It means that he should cast his 
lot for his share of the plunder, not simply in 
one particular raid, but in general. B expresses 
the same thought, not communism, without di- 
vision, but an equal share in the division. 16. 
The verse is identical with Isa. 59 : 7a, except 
that here a word is added at the beginning, and 
there one at the end. The appropriateness of 
the verse in its connection is obvious in Isaiah, 
but it is not quite so obvious here. Consequently 
many have concluded to omit it here as a scribal 
addition from Isaiah. There is no sufficient 
reason, however, for its omission. It is rather 
to be regarded as a quotation from Isaiah by 
the author here, or else the reverse. A is similar 
to 6 : 18b. What has been said on ver. 11 sug- 
gests a natural reason for the presence of the 
verse here. The robbers emphasize the gain of 
the robbery, they paBS lightly over the blood- 
shed involved. This verse is designed to call 
attention to the real facts. A mentions that 
not simply gain is involved, but evil-doing. 
B, more strongly, that murder is really a 
prominent part of their plans. From this ver. 
17-19 go on to speak of the results of their con- 
duct viewed thus in reference to its real nature. 
17. In vain. The natural meaning would 
seem to be : It is in vain that one attempts to 
catch birds by spreading a net in their sight, 
for they will take warning and keep away from 
it. But this interpretation, although it has 
been held by many, is generally conceded to be 
contrary to the facts. Birds are often caught in 
such a way. It is necessary, therefore, in ac- 
cordance with the facts, to regard these words " in 
vain " as used from the standpoint of the birds, 
not of the hunters ; from their standpoint it is 



Ch. L] 



PROVERBS 



21 



18 And they lay wait for their own blood ; they 
lurk privily for their own lives. 

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of 
gain; which taketh away the life of the owners 
thereof. 

20 Wisdom crieth without ; she uttereth her voice 
in the streets ; 

21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in 
the openings of the gates : in the city she uttereth 
her words, saying, 

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love sim- 
plicity ? and the scorners delight in their scorning, 
and fools hate knowledge ? 

23 Turn you at my reproof : behold, I will pour 
out my spirit unto you, I will make known my 
words unto you. 



in vain, for they do not heed the warning. 18. 
The first interpretation mentioned for ver. 17 
would make this verse in contrast with it, the 
one adopted makes the thought one of similar- 
ity. The connection of thought is : Just as the 
bird is not warned by seeing the net, but is at- 
tracted by the bait and rushes on, so these sin- 
ners go on, even though it is plain that they 
are injuring themselves. The verse manifestly 
alludes to ver. 11, the language used being al- 
most identical. This indicates that their plans 
in reference to others shall recoil on their own 
heads. 19. Similar thought in 15 : 27, con- 
trasted thought in 28 : 16. This verse draws 
the general lesson from the preceding. Every 
one that is greedy of gain is inadequate ; 
every one. that gets unjust gain is better. It does 
not indicate greed simply, but greed that acts 
unjustly, one form of which is robbery, just 
mentioned. The owners thereof, those who 
have it as their prominent characteristic. B 
does not indicate the specific application in- 
tended. It is probable, therefore, that we are 
to regard the verse as general. It does not in- 
dicate that justice will overtake the robber in 
any specific way, by legal punishment or other- 
wise. It rather gives the assurance that in some 
way or other such punishment will come, that 
in some way the life of such a man will pay 
the penalty. This is in harmony with the 
general teaching of Proverbs that an early- 
death is a punishment for sin. This verse also 
indicates that the controlling motive in the acts 
mentioned in the preceding verses is excessive 
and unjust greed. 

20. Wisdom is personified as a woman, 
the personification continuing through the 
chapter. The tenses in ver. 20, 21 may be fre- 
quentative, stating what wisdom is in the habit 
of doing. It seems more probable, however, 
that a personification would have in mind one 
event rather than a series, so it is better to re- 
gard the tenses as the equivalent of the present. 



18 And these lay wait for their own blood. 
They lurk privily for their own lives. 

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of 

gain ; 

It taketh away the life of the owners thereof. 

20 Wisdom crieth aloud in the street ; 

She uttereth her voice in the broad places ; 

21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse ; 
At the entering in of the gates, 

In the city, she uttereth her words : 

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplic- 

ity? 

And scorners delight them in scorning, 
And fools hate knowledge? 

23 Turn you at my reproof : 

Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, 
I will make known my words unto you. 



The fact that a quotation follows is also more in 
harmony with this idea. The tenses in 8 : 1-3 
are probably the same as here. The question 
is, of course, not one of fact, as this is personifi- 
cation, but of conception and representation. 
This is supposed to be a specimen incident in 
the activity of personified wisdom. Broad 
places. The phrase may mean broad streets, 
but more usually squares, open places. 21. 
In the chief place of concourse, better in 
the literal rendering : at the head of the noisy 
streets. It probably means at the intersection 
of busy streets; see " where the paths meet," in 
8 : 2. Ver. 20, 21 do not give, then, merely dif- 
ferent descriptions of the same place. Ver. 20 
and this phrase in ver. 21 refer to different 
places best suited for public audience in the 
streets about the city, while At the entering 
in of the gates designates the square at the en- 
trance of the city, the common meeting-place. 
In the city. If this phrase modifies the pre- 
ceding, at the entrance of the gates, it would 
simply mark that place as being inside the 
gates, not outside. But that seems unnecessary, 
as it would be the obvious implication. It 
therefore seems better to regard the words, as 
is usually done, as being an additional state- 
ment, summing up all the preceding, expressed 
without a conjunction. The same form of ex- 
pression is found in 2 : 9 and 8 : 16. Wisdom is 
described as making a trip about the city, speak- 
ing at various places and at one time using the 
words of ver. 22 f., which would be substantially 
the same as those used at the other places. 22. 
Simple ones, here in an unfavorable sense. 
Scorners . . . scorning (scoffers . . . scoffing); 
the rendering of the A. E. V. is the better. 
These make religion and morality, in connec- 
tion with which the words are generally used, 
subjects for scoffing. Both words are rare out- 
side of Proverbs. The changes of person in 
this verse and the following are such as are not 
uncommon. 23. This is a sentence virtually 



22 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. II. 



24 Because I have called, and ye refused ; I have 
stretched out my hand, and no man regarded ; 

25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and 
would none of my reproof ; 

26 I also will laugh at your calamity ; I will mock 
when your fear cometh ; 

27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and 
your destruction cometh as a whirlwind ; when 
distress and anguish cometh upon you. 

28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not 
answer ; they shall seek me early, but they shall 
not find me : 

29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not 
choose the fear of the Lord : 

30 They would none of my counsel : they de- 
spised all my reproof : 

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their 
own way, and be filled with their own devices. 

32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay 
them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy 
them. 

33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell 
safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. 



conditional without the conditional form : If 
you turn . . . Behold, I will, etc. 26. Laughter 
in the Old Testament is not an indication 
simply of amusement. Here it is the laughter 
of mockery, which is a common usage and here 
favored by the context. Fear should be terror, 
a stronger word than fear, so in ver. 27a. 27. 
3 ■ 25 is similar. Whirlwind. The word 
means properly a destructive storm-wind. 28. 
An evident allusion to ver. 24, the language 
being similar. Diligently should probably 
be omitted. Is it the representation here that 
these men repent of their evil and yet find 
no mercy when they turn unto wisdom ? 
Manifestly not ; plainly there is no thought of 
repentance. Rather their cry is in time of 
trouble, as shown by ver. 26, 27, and is simply 
for deliverance from the evil consequences of 
their deeds, as indicated especially by ver. 31, 
32. In fact, the common thought of Proverbs 
is of a certain fixity of character ; when a given 
course has been followed persistently for a long 
time there is no thought of real change of char- 
acter, a hardened sinner continues to be such 
under all circumstances. Of course, this is a 
partial and extreme view, yet it presents a side, 
and a very important side, of truth. It is to be 
remembered that it lies in the very nature of 
the case that the book of Proverbs, dealing 
largely in generalizations, should ordinarily 
present only one side of a case ; for the sake of 
practical effectiveness in the presentation of 
truth such a course was often necessary. Ver. 
29, 30 give the reason for ver. 28. 31. This 
verse continues the thought of ver. 28 ; there- 
fore would be better rendered and, which is 
literal. Ver. 29, 30 are really parenthetical. 



24 Because I have called, and ye refused ; 

I have stretched out my hand, and no man re- 
garded ; 

25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, 
And would none of my reproof : 

26 I also will laugh in the day of your calamity ; 
I will mock when your fear cometh ; 

27 When your fear cometh as a storm, 

And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind ; 
When distress and anguish come upon you. 

28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not an- 

swer ; 

They shall seek me diligently, but they shall not 
find me : 

29 For that they hated knowledge, 

And did not choose the fear of the Lord : 

30 They would none of my counsel ; 
They despised all my reproof : 

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their 

own way, 
And be filled with their own devices. 

32 For the backsliding of the simple shall slay 

them, 

And the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 

33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell se- 

curely, 

And shall be quiet without fear of evil. 



32. Backsliding, perhaps better, apostasy. 
It means the turning away from wisdom. 
Simple, here in a bad sense. For this word 
and fools pronouns might here have been used. 
The nouns are used for the sake of added clear- 
ness, and also add a certain emphasis. Prosper- 
ity of, careless ease. This implies forgetfulness 
of God. 33. Quiet, better, untroubled. 



Chap. 2. The thought of the chapter: The 
blessings conferred by wisdom on those who 
follow its teachings. The blessings named are : 
The understanding of the fear of Jehovah and 
the consequent protection, the understanding of 
wisdom and the consequent protection, deliver- 
ance from the way of evil men, deliverance from 
destruction through adulteresses, and attain- 
ment of right ways. More in detail the thought 
is as follows : Ver. 1-4 contain a series of con- 
ditional clauses, all of which express one con- 
dition, the diligent pursuit of wisdom. Ver. 
5-8 form the first conclusion to this condition ; 
ver. 5 states it in general, the result is the under- 
standing of the fear of Jehovah ; ver. 6 gives the 
reason for ver. 5, Jehovah gives wisdom ; ver. 7, 
8 continue ver. 5, 6, stating that Jehovah gives 
protection to those who fear him. Ver. 9-11 form 
a second parallel conclusion in terms of wisdom ; 
ver. 9 gives the general result, the understand- 
ing of wisdom ; ver. 10, 11 describe the result- 
ing protection. This protection of ver. 10, 11 is 
amplified in the first statement, ver. 12-15, it is 
deliverance from evil and evil men ; it is further 
amplified in the second statement, ver. 16-19, it is 
deliverance from adulteresses, adulteresses being 
described in ver. 16, 17, their effects in ver. 18, 
19 ; it is amplified yet again in the third state- 



Ch. II.] 



PROVERBS 



23 



CHAP 

1 MY son, if thou wilt receive my words, and 
hide my commandments with thee ; 

2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, 
and apply thine heart to understanding ; 

3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest 
up thy voice for understanding ; 

4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for 
for her as for hid treasures ; 

5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the 
Lord, and find the knowledge of God. 

6 For the Lord giveth wisdom : out of his mouth 
cometh knowledge and understanding. 

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous : 
he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 



ment, ver. 20, it is the attainment of right ways ; 
ver. 21, 22 give the general conclusion from all 
these results. 

Some, as Toy, have thought that ver. 5-8 
should be omitted as a later insertion, appar- 
ently because they dwell upon the fear of Je- 
hovah, while the rest of the chapter presents 
merely prudential considerations. This is, how- 
ever, no reason for omission, because it is always 
understood and often asserted in some form that 
wisdom includes the fear of Jehovah. Further, 
it seems plain that the two sections 5-8 and 9-11 
are intentionally parallel ; in the former a 
prominent blessing resulting from the pursuit 
of wisdom is knowledge and fear of God with 
consequent prosperity and protection ; in the 
latter a similar blessing is presented as knowl- 
edge of wisdom and consequent prosperity and 
protection. Thus knowledge of God and knowl- 
edge of wisdom are presented side by side, so 
as to suggest their close connection ; that they 
are practically identical, see the explicit state- 
ment of ver. 6a, and the same teaching in 1 : 7 
and 9 : 10. Ver. 9 is closely parallel to ver. 5, 
and ver. 11 to ver. 8. 

1. 7 : 1 is very similar. The speaker is now 
not wisdom, but the author. 2. Heart. The 
metaphorical use of this word in the Hebrew, ab. 
lebh, also , lebhabh, is not the same as in Eng- 
lish, although the English versions usually re- 
tain it where it appears in the Hebrew, in most 
cases contrary to English usage. The principal 
meanings of the word are as follows: (1) the 
whole inner man, the invisible part of man ; (2) 
the mind, intellect; (3) the will; (4) the moral 
character ; (5 ) the emotions, a much less common 
meaning than the others. These are not, how- 
ever, to be regarded as entirely distinct mean- 
ings, the other meanings are all to be considered 
as only specializations of (1), and as often re- 
taining somewhat of the general meaning of (1). 
Here the best rendering is mind, as is shown by 
the word understanding immediately after. 



EE II. 

1 MY son, if thou wilt receive my words, 
And lay up my commandments with thee ; 

2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, 
And apply thine heart to understanding ; 

3 Yea, if thou cry after discernment, 
And lift up thy voice for understanding ; 

4 If thou seek her as silver, 

And search for her as for hid treasures ; 

5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the 

Lord, 

And find the knowledge of God. 

6 For the Lord giveth wisdom ; 

Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and under- 
standing : 

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright, 
He is a shield to them that walk in integrity ; 

In Proverbs it will not always be necessary to 
specify which is the meaning to be given in a par- 
ticular case, since it will be indicated by the con- 
text. 3. Cry after. The use of the same Hebrew 
phrase in Ps. 57 : 2 indicates that the meaning 
here is call for help to, i. e., not directly for de- 
liverance from danger, but for help in a felt 
need. 4. Search for. The original meaning 
of the Hebrew word was without doubt to dig ; 
it is thus a stronger word than that used in a, 
and especially appropriate in connection with 
the mention of hid treasures. The allusion 
is to the common custom in antiquity that in 
times of insecurity men would bury their pos- 
sessions in the earth, and were often prevented 
by circumstances from digging them up again. 
These were frequently dug up by others, either 
by accident or design. See Job 3 : 21, which is 
a very instructive parallel to the present passage, 
and also Jer. 41 : 8 and Matt. 13 : 44. 5. Then 
is an indication of the conclusion, marking 
special emphasis. Shalt, render, wilt. The 
fear of the Lord (Jehovah) means reverent 
obedience. Knowledge of God. This is 
primarily intellectual apprehension, but it im- 
plies obedience as well. The two phrases in the 
two clauses are not identical, but either would 
to a certain extent imply the other, so that they 
are sufficiently similar to make the parallelism 
here synonymous. 6. This verse shows the 
necessary connection of wisdom with religion. 
It gives the reason for ver. 5, because wisdom 
comes from God ; the seeker after wisdom will 
necessarily come to know God. Phraseology 
like that in b is common in the prophets, it oc- 
curs here only in Proverbs. It means that God 
reveals his will to men. Elsewhere wisdom ap- 
pears as the revealer. There is, however, no con- 
tradiction. Rather, this passage aids in under- 
standing the others, showing that it is God who 
speaks to men through wisdom. 7. Sound wis- 
dom. The Hebrew word here, XV&W, tdshiya, is 
a word of the wisdom literature. It seems quite 



24 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. II. 



8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserv- 
eth the way of his saints. 

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and 
judgment, and equity ; yea, every good path. 

10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and 
knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul ; 

11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding 
shall keep thee : 

12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, 
from the man that speaketh froward things ; 

13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk 
in the ways of darkness ; 

14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the fro- 
wardness of the wicked ; 

15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in 
their paths ; 

16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even 
from the stranger which flattereth with her words ; 



certain that it is derived from a word meaning 
to be, so that its fundamental meaning is true 
reality. Sound wisdom fairly represents its 
meaning in many passages; but here ver. 7b 
and ver. 8 indicate a different meaning, abiding 
success, which should be the rendering here. 
The same meaning is found in Job 5 : 12. 
Shield is often used metaphorically for protec- 
tion, so e. g., in Gen. 15 : 1 ; Ps. 3 : 3 ; 18 : 2, 30; 
33:20; 84:11. 8. That he may guard. 
This is not the only possible rendering of the 
Hebrew, although by itself a natural one. This 
rendering would make the verse express the re- 
sult of something previous, which does not seem 
appropriate, inasmuch as the thought expressed 
in ver. 8 is very similar to that in ver. 7, es- 
pecially ver. 7b. Hence it is better to give the 
equally possible rendering : He guards, and in 
b, And preserves. This rendering regards the 
verse as being in form an explanation of ver. 7, 
but in reality co-ordinate, a continuation of the 
same thought. Saints. This means pious or 
godly. The root idea is not holy, but kind, 
which in use has become broadened so as to 
mean pious. 10. For is usually supposed to 
assign the reason for ver. 9. The difficulty is, 
however, that the meaning of ver. 10 is very 
similar to that of ver. 9, and also ver. 11 is not 
suitable as a reason. It seems better, therefore, 
with Fr., to translate when, which is equally 
possible. Thus ver. 10 is the condition and ver. 
11 the conclusion, and the verbs in ver. 10 should 
be rendered as presents. Render: Wlien (or 
if ) wisdom enters into thy mind, And knowledge 
is pleasant unto thy soul ; (Then) discretion shall 
watch over thee, etc. 12. To expresses result 
rather than purpose. The verse is closely con- 
nected with ver. 11, and expresses the result of 
the protecting activity of wisdom. From the 
way of evil, from the men, render: From 
an evil way, from men. The two clauses of the 
verse speak of two similar things, an evil way 



8 That he may guard the paths of judgement, 
And preserve the way of his saints. 

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and 

judgement, 
And equity, yea, every good path. 

10 For wisdom shall enter into thine heart, 

And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul ; 

11 Discretion shall watch over thee, 
Understanding shall keep thee : 

12 To deliver thee from the way of evil, 
From the men that speak froward things ; 

13 Who forsake the paths of uprightness, 
To walk in the ways of darkness ; 

14 Who rejoice to do evil, 

And delight in the frowardness of evil ; 

15 Who are crooked in their ways, 
And perverse in their paths : 

16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, 
Even from the stranger which flattereth with 

her words ; 

in the abstract, evil men in the concrete. Fro- 
ward (perverse), the rendering of the A. R. V. 
is the better. 13. Omit the definite article in 
both members. Darkness is here put in con- 
trast with uprightness, while its proper an- 
tithesis would of course be light. But such use 
of figurative language is common in the Old 
Testament. "Darkness" here is probably a 
general expression for evil (see Isa. 5 : 20), rather 
than suggestive of any more specific meaning. 
Upright is really straight, its proper antithesis 
being crooked (ver. 15). 14. Frowardness 
(perverseness), the rendering of the A. R. V., is 
the better. 15. The rendering of the R. V. is 
not a natural rendering of the Hebrew text as 
it stands, which is given rather by the A. V. 
It is to be noticed, however, that this rendering 
makes the form of expression different in the 
two members, which is unnatural. Various 
changes of text have been proposed ; the sim- 
plest is the omission of one consonant in b, 
reading Utvhtyll, mtigHotham, which is favored 
by all the versions except Aq. and Th., and is 
therefore to be accepted. The verse is then to be 
rendered: Whose ways are crooked, and whose 
paths are wayward. 16. In phraseology and in 
meaning the verse is closely parallel to ver. 12. 
A second result is here introduced, very similar 
the first. The strange woman . . . the for- 
eigner, render: A strange woman. . . a foreign 
woman. Both words, I"PT, z&ra, and rP"1D3, n£kh- 
Hya, are used here with practically the same 
meaning, viz, harlot. This is a meaning peculiar 
to Proverbs. Aside from the present passage, the 
former word is used with this meaning in Prov. 
5 : 3, 20; 22 : 14 (the only Solomonic passage), 
and the latter in 5 : 20; 6 : 24; 23 : 27 (in this 
passage parallel with the usual word for harlot). 
Various explanations are given of the origin of 
this meaning. The one perhaps most commonly 
accepted is that it is used to designate her as the 
wife of another, stranger here meaning not one 



Ch. II.] 



PROVERBS 



25 



17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and 
forgetteth the covenant of her God. 

18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her 
paths unto the dead. 



of another nation, but of another family, an 
allowable use of the Hebrew words. In favor 
of this origin of the meaning is urged the un- 
doubted fact that the women thus designated 
are in Proverbs usually, if not always, married. 
If this explanation were the true one, however, 
it would seem that the words must be used to 
call special attention to the wickedness of the 
woman, because she is a member of another 
family, i. e., married; or else to emphasize the 
contrast between this woman, who is not of the 
family of the man who sins with her, and his 
own wife, who is of his family. Against the 
first explanation is the fact that while the sin 
of the woman in committing adultery is recog- 
nized, no emphasis is put upon it. The warn- 
ings are addressed uniformly to the man, the 
sin of the woman upon which emphasis is 
placed is that of leading astray the man by her 
depravity. Against the second explanation is 
the fact that in only one passage, 5 : 15, 18-20, 
is any emphasis put upon the fact that the man 
is married. Usually he is not said to be mar- 
ried. The emphasis from his standpoint is 
generally placed not upon the fact of adultery, 
but rather upon the certainty that the evil con- 
sequences will follow as the punishment of a 
dissolute life. It is evident that in Proverbs, 
especially here and in 7 : 5-21, married women 
are described as engaged in active solicitation, 
so that practically they could be designated as 
harlots. That no marked difference in meaning 
between a harlot and an adulteress was thought 
of is indicated by the parallelism in 6 : 26, and 
also by the phrase in 7 : 10b. It seems better, 
therefore, to adopt another fairly common ex- 
planation, and regard the usage as having arisen 
from the common meaning of the words here 
used, stranger, of another nation. It would 
then acquire the present meaning, it is supposed, 
because the depraved women in Israel were 
largely foreigners. When it had obtained this 
meaning, however, it would not be limited sim- 
ply to foreigners ; but would be used as practi- 
cally equivalent to the word harlot. This ex- 
planation does not make it necessary, therefore, 
to suppose that as used in Proverbs it always 
designates foreigners ; usually there is no specific 
indication in the circumstances. For the state- 
ment made above that probably most of these 
women were originally foreigners there is little 
direct evidence. In favor of it, however, is the 



17 Which forsaketh the friend of her youth. 
And forgetteth the covenant of her God : 

18 For her house inclineth unto death, 
And her paths unto the dead : 



well-known fact that the depravity of the women 
in the nations surrounding Israel was very great ; 
and also the fact that the itiinp, q'dhesha, or 
sacred harlot, against whom the Israelites were 
several times warned, was distinctly a foreign 
institution. In favor of this explanation is also 
the analogy of the later Jewish usage, by which 
in the Talmud a harlot is called an Aramean, 
which is equivalent to foreigner. Flattereth. 
The meaning is probably better expressed by 
saying entices. 17. Friend. The word means 
probably an intimate friend. It is used of a 
husband only here and in Jer. 3 : 4, where it is 
rendered guide. Of her youth is used as in 
Mai. 2:14, 15. Covenant of her God. The 
word "covenant" is usually supposed to refer 
to the marriage ceremony, as it does in Mai. 2 : 
14, but only there. The added phrase "of her 
God" is then supposed to point to a religious 
ceremony in marriage, which is nowhere men- 
tioned in the Pentateuchal regulations or else- 
where, although it is supposed to be implied in 
Mai. 2 : 14. The noticeable scantiness of the 
evidence in favor of this view makes it doubt- 
ful. It is therefore better to regard " cove- 
nant" here as having its common meaning of 
a covenant with God, and in fact of the great 
covenant of God with his people. This implies 
of course that, whether originally foreigner 
or not, this woman as residing in Palestine 
was an adherent of Jehovah. " The cove- 
nant of her God" would then mean, by an en- 
tirely allowable translation of the Hebrew, her 
covenant with God. The reference would be 
specifically to that part of the national covenant 
which is a command against adultery, viz, Exod. 
20 : 14. 18. For assigns the reason for ver. 16. 
It is not, however, the reason for the action of 
ver. 16, but for the necessity of the action. Her 
house inclineth unto death. For "in- 
clineth " render sinks down, which is the literal 
rendering. The general meaning is clear; the 
precise explanation is much disputed. " House " 
is sometimes taken in the sense of household, 
i. e., she and all belonging to her. But this is 
not natural in view of the parallelism, is not in 
harmony with the literal meaning of the verb, 
and is opposed to the connection of thought with 
ver. 19. The parallelism suggests a better view, 
that "house" is used in a meaning somewhat 
similar to path, i. e., that the house is regarded 
as the entrance to a path. (See 5:5.) The 



26 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. III. 



19 None that go unto her return again, neither 
take they hold of the paths of life. 

20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good 
men, and keep the paths of the righteous. 

21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and 
the perfect shall remain in it. 

22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, 
and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. 



1 MY son, forget not my law ; 
keep my commandments : 

meaning then would be, her house is the en- 
trance to a path that sinks down to death. The 
thought is not of sudden destruction as the im- 
mediate punishment visited upon the sin, but 
rather that those who go to her house have en- 
tered upon a course which leads to death, i. e., 
to premature death as the punishment of sin. 
19. Return again, render, will return; nei- 
ther do they attain, render, neither will they 
attain. Ver. 18 speaks of the influence and re- 
sult of this intercourse ; ver. 19 of the impossi- 
bility that those who go in unto her should 
escape them, repentance, as often in Proverbs, 
being left out of the consideration. " Return " 
is not from sheol, as Toy and others regard it, 
but from her paths which lead to it. Paths of 
life is in contrast to "her paths " (ver. 18), and 
means paths which lead to continued life, long 
life, as do the paths of uprightness. Go unto 
her, better, go in unto her. A similar phrase 
is in common use as a technical term for sexual 
intercourse, and that is the natural meaning 
here. 20. That. The form of expression here 
used in the Hebrew regularly indicates purpose, 
although it would not always be so expressed in 
English idiom. Here accordingly it is to be 
regarded as an expression of purpose, but pur- 
pose as existing in the mind of wisdom, which 
is here thought of as personified. In English 
that conception would not be the most natural 
one, so the real meaning would be better ex- 
pressed by rendering it as an expression of re- 
sult, so that thou wilt walk. The verse is closely 
connected in thought with ver. 11 and is closely 
parallel to the two sections introduced by ver. 
12 and 16 respectively. There the result of the 
presence of wisdom is described as a two-fold 
deliverance from evil; here it is further de- 
scribed positively as the attainment of good. 
21. A thought similar to that of ver. 21, 22 is 
expressed in 10 : 30 ; see also note on 3 : 2. The 
land probably means Canaan. The thought 
would thus be similar to that of Exod. 20 : 12 ; 
Deut. 5 : 16 ; 25 : 15. Remain. The Hebrew 
word generally means not simply to remain, but 



19 None that go unto her return again, 
Neither do they attain unto the paths of life : 

20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, 
And keep the paths of the righteous. 

21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, 
And the perfect shall remain in it. 

22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, 
And they that deal treacherously shall be rooted 

out of it. 



to be left behind when others are taken away, 
often when others are destroyed. That may 
very well be the meaning here, it being used 
with reference to that which is to follow, the 
judgment upon the wicked in ver. 22. 22. 
Treacherous. As the parallelism suggests, 
this word probably has a more general mean- 
ing here, viz, godless, as in Ps. 25 : 3 ; Prov. 
13 : 2 ; 22 : 12. Rooted out. The same He- 
brew word, npJ, nasah, is used as here of de- 
portation in Deut. 28 : 63. A naturally refers 
to death, b to deportation. Together they ex- 
press the complete opposite of ver. 21, in what- 
ever way it might take place. 



Chap. 3. The general thought of the chap- 
ter : Exhortation to fear God and attain wis- 
dom, and statement of the value and blessings 
of wisdom. Analysis: (1) Ver. 1-12, exhorta- 
tion to fear and trust God, with statement of the 
resulting blessings ; (2) ver. 13-26, statement of 
the value and blessings of wisdom, with exhor- 
tation to its acquisition ; (3) ver. 27-35, warning 
against various wrong acts. Connection of 
thought: "Ver. 1-12 consist of six pairs of verses, 
in each of which the first gives an exhortation, 
and the second a promise consequent upon the 
observance of the first. In (2), ver. 13-15 state 
the value of wisdom ; ver. 16-18, the blessings 
she brings are mentioned ; ver. 19, 20, wisdom 
assisted in Jehovah's creative activity; ver. 21- 
26, exhortation to keep fast hold of the teachings 
of wisdom, then blessings will follow, especially 
protection from all danger. In (3), ver. 27 lays 
down the general principle concerning action 
with reference to one's fellow-men, give to each 
one his due ; in ver. 28 this is given a particular 
application to money ; in ver. 29 and 30 the re- 
lated thought is presented, do not do evil to your 
neighbor ; ver. 31, do not envy the man who dis- 
regards the admonition of ver. 29 and 30 ; ver. 32, 
reason for ver. 31, Jehovah's attitude ; ver. 33-35, 
Jehovah's attitude toward the wicked and right- 
eous respectively and its result in their lives. 

1. Law, render, teaching, and see note on 



CHAPTER III. 

but let thine heart | 1 MY son, forget not my law ; 

I But let thine heart keep my commandments : 



Ch. III.] 



PROVERBS 



27 



2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, 
shall they add to thee. 

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee : bind 
them about thy neck ; write them upon the table 
of thine heart: 

4 So shalt thou find favour and good understand- 
ing in the sight of God and man. 

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and 
lean not unto thine own understanding. 

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall 
direct thy paths. 

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes : fear the Lord, 
and depart from evil. 

8 It snail be health to thy navel, and marrow to 
thy bones. 



1:8. 2. See 2 : 21; 3 : 16; 4 : 10; and 9 : II, 
where also length of days is attributed to wisdom 
explicitly or by implication, and 10 : 27, where 
it is attributed to the fear of Jehovah. See also 
2 : 22 and 10 : 27, where the opposite is expressed, 
viz, the shortening of the lives of the wicked. 
See further Exod. 20 : 12 ; Deut. 22 : 7 ; Isa. 
65 : 20, 22. We have expressed, then, in this 
verse a teaching which is often stated in Prov- 
erbs, viz, that length of life is a reward of right 
living and shortness of life a punishment for 
wrong living. There is no reason to think, with 
Str. and others, that life is a pregnant construc- 
tion, meaning a prosperous life. That is of 
course implied, but there is no reason for put- 
ting any such force into the word "life" itself. 
3. Kindness and truth. The Hebrew words 
occurring here are often found together ; used of 
God, as Gen. 32 : 10; Ps. 25 : 10; 40 : 10, 11; 
of a king, Prov. 20 : 28 ; of men, Gen. 24 : 49 ; 
47 : 29 ; and Isa. 16 : 5 in parallelism. Here 
plainly used of men, so also in 16 : 6. In 14 : 22 
the statement is general. Bind them. This 
phrase may be compared with the commands of 
Exod. 13 : 16 ; Deut. 6:8; 11 : 18. Here c 
shows plainly that it is not to be taken literally. 
The thought here and in 6 : 21 is not of orna- 
ment, as in 1 : 9, but of having them constantly 
at hand. The form of expression may be taken 
from the seal-ring which was hung about the 
neck by a cord so as to be convenient to the 
hand. (See Gen. 38 : 18 ; Cant. 8 : 6.) The 
table (tablet) of thy heart. See similar 
thought and phraseology in 7 : 3 ; Jer. 17 : 1; 
31:33. "Heart," render, mind. 4. Under- 
standing. The word here has been variously 
translated, success, prudence, repute, etc. The 
word consideration may be adopted as suiting 
both the etymology and the connection better 
than any other. " Understanding" is a mean- 
ing not appropriate in the connection. 5. 
Heart, render, soul, the inner part of man 
in general. Thine own understanding. 
Mentioned with the implication that it is human 
and imperfect; the thought is similar in Jer. 



2 For length of days, and years of life, 
And peace, shall they add to thee. 

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee : 
Bind them about thy neck ; 

Write them upon the table of thine heart : 

4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding 
In the sight of God and man. 

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. 

And lean not upon thine own understanding: 

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, 
And be shall direct thy paths. 

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes ; 
Fear the Lord, and depart from evil : 

8 It shall be health to thy navel, 
And marrow to thy bones. 



9 : 23, 24; Job 10 : 4; and in Ecclus. 3 : 21-24. 
6. Acknowledge. This should probably be 
translated know, which is the general meaning, 
although here, as often when the object is God, 
it conveys also the implied idea of reverence, 
worship, obey. The meaning" acknowledge" 
is not appropriate with God as object nor in this 
connection. The meaning here given is found 
in many passages, such as Hosea 5:4; 6:6; 
8:2; Job 18 : 21 ; Ps. 9 : 10. He. Emphatic 
in Hebrew, the emphasis of contrast, meaning 
he on his part. Shall direct, better, will 
make smooth. The original meaning of the 
word, which is sometimes retained, is to make 
straight. In usage, however, it also acquires 
the similar meaning to make smooth, and refers 
chiefly to the removal of obstacles from roads. 
It has this meaning in a figurative sense here 
and in 11 : 5. As thus used it has reference to 
ease and success rather than to guidance. In 
9 : 15 and 15 : 21 it has the other meaning, make 
straight, in the latter passage being used ethic- 
ally in a figurative sense. 7a is similar to 
Isa. 5 : 21 ; Prov. 16 : 2 ; 26 : 12. In thine 
own eyes, i. e., in thine own estimation. 
Depart from evil. This is the practical re- 
sult of the fear of Jehovah. The same thought 
is found in 14 : 16 ; 16 = 6 ; Job 1 : 1, 8 ; 2 : 3 ; 
28:28. 8. Bender: healing shall be to thy body, 
and refreshment to thy bones. Body. This ren- 
dering is obtained by following G. and S., and 
does not necessarily involve any change in the 
consonantal text, reading =' l e sherekha, or 
'nNtpS, lish e 'erekha. It gives a good meaning, 
while from the MT. it is very difficult to obtain 
any meaning. Refreshment. In the two other 
passages where it occurs the word means drink, 
and here the meaning is similar. It is the 
watering of the bones, a token of physical well- 
being. It is the opposite of the drying of the 
bones, an expression of great distress, as in 
17 : 22. There is no need to see in this verse 
anything more than an expression of physical 
well-being. It is noticeable that bones are used 
in the Old Testament as the important internal 



28 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. III. 



9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with 
the firstfruits of all thine increase : 

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and 
thy presses shall burst out with new wine. 

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the 
Lord ; neither be weary of his correction : 

12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth ; 
even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and 
the man that getteth understanding : 

14 For the merchandise of it is better than the 
merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than 
fine gold. 

15 She is more precious than rubies : and all the 
things thou canst desire are not to be compared 
unto her. 

16 Length of days is in her right hand ; and in 
her left hand riches and honour. 

17 Her ways are ways of' pleasantness, and all 
her paths are peace. 

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon 
her, and happy is every one that retaineth her. 



9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, 
And with the firstfruits of all thine increase : 

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, 
And thy fats shall overflow with new wine. 

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord ; 
Neither be weary of his reproof : 

12 For whom the Lord loveth he reproveth ; 
Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, 
And the man that getteth understanding. 

14 For the merchandise of it is better than the 

merchandise of silver, 
And the gain thereof than fine gold. 

15 She is more precious than rubies : 

And none of the things thou canst desire are to 
be compared unto her. 

16 Length of days is in her right hand ; 
In her left hand are riches and honour. 

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, 
And all her paths are peace. 

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon 

her: 

And happy is every one that retaineth her. 



part of the body, very much as we speak of 
nerves. (See 12 : 4b; 14 : 30b.) 9. Honour, 
used in the same way in Isa. 43 : 23, involving 
the meaning give, pay. It is used in a similar 
way, involving the meaning reward, in Num. 
22 : 17, 37. With thy substance. Naturally 
a special reference to tithes. See their promi- 
nence in Gen. 28 : 22 ; Lev. 27 : 30 f. ; Num. 18 : 
21 f. ; Deut. 12, 14, 26. 10. The verse is similar 
to Joel 2 : 24. New wine. Here the juice of 
the grape freshly pressed and unfermented, as 
is shown by the connection with " vats." This 
is the usual meaning of the Hebrew word here 
employed, B71VPI, tirdsh, although occasionally 
it indicates wine that is intoxicating; plainly 
so in Hosea 4 : 11, and perhaps in Judg. 9 : 
13. Fats. The vat was the receptacle into 
which the juice ran and was distinct from the 
press in which the grapes were trodden. Both 
were usually excavated in the rock (see Isa. 
5:2), the vat being lower than the press. 
Similar blessing is pronounced on similar 
grounds in Deut. 28 : 8 ; Mai. 3 : 10-12. 11. 
Be weary of. The expression is too weak ; 
it should be stronger than despise of a. Ren- 
der, have loathing for. 12. Even as a father 
the son. Eender, he afflicts a son. This ren- 
dering follows G. and does not necessarily in- 
volve any change in the consonantal text, read- 
ing w e khe'ebh, or 2Vty, ydkh'tbh. It is 
to be preferred chiefly because MT. gives an 
awkward grammatical construction. The con- 
nection with Job (see below) would also be 
favorable to it. " The thought is found in Job 
4, 5 (Eliphaz) and 33 (Elihu), but only here in 
Proverbs" (Toy). The thought and phrase- 
ology here are very similar to those of Job 5 : 
17, 18 ; it seems evident that one is an allusion 
to the other. The passage here in Proverbs 



would naturally be the earlier because it ex- 
presses briefly what is present in a much ex- 
panded form in Job. This is in harmony with 
the conclusion as to date of Proverbs in the In- 
troduction. It is not surprising to find an iso- 
lated passage in Proverbs teaching a view that 
later was common and was expressed with much 
greater fullness. 14. The gaining of it (A. R. 
V.) is to be preferred to the merchandise 
of it (R. V.). In the parallelism the profit 
thereof (A. R. V.) is to be rendered, the acquir- 
ing of it. The thought in both clauses is, it is 
better to acquire wisdom than silver or gold. 

15. Rubies. The Hebrew word, D\n3, 
p'ntnim, is shown by Lam. 4 : 7 to designate 
something red, which excludes the old rendering, 
pearls. It is probable, however, that it should 
be rendered corals, which were highly esteemed 
in antiquity, rather than " rubies." The ren- 
dering should be the same in the other occur- 
rences of the word in Proverbs, viz, 8 : 11 ; 20 : 
15; 31 : 10. B, render: And all of thy costly 
things are not equal in return for her, i. e., 
are not sufficiently valuable to purchase her. 
Ver. 14 and 15 are very similar to 8 : 10, 11 ; 
see also 20 : 15 ; 16 : 16. 16. Wisdom is here 
personified. If any difference is intended it 
is probable that the greater good is to be re- 
garded as in the right hand. A , see note on 
3:2. B is similar to Prov. 8 : 18a, and 
22 : 4. Riches and honor are spoken of as 
blessings in 1 Kings 3 : 13. 17. Her ways . . . 
her paths, those which belong to her, and to 
which she leads, as in 4 : 11. Peace, similar 
thought in Job 5 : 24 ; similar mode of expres- 
sion in Ps. 45 : 8a. 18. A tree of life. The 
same phrase is found in 11 : 30 ; 13 : 12; 15 : 4. 
(see Gen. 2:9; s : 22.) The phrase, used figura- 
tively, means a source of life, and is used here 



Ch. III.] 



PROVERBS 



29 



19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth ; 
by understanding hath he established the heavens. 

20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, 
and the clouds drop down the dew. 

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes : 
keep sound wisdom and discretion : 

22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace 
to thy neck. 

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and 
thy foot shall not stumble. 

24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid : 
yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be 
sweet. 

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the 
desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 

26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and 
shall keep thy foot from being taken. 

27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is 
due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. 



of wisdom because she prolongs life. 19. The 
highest praise of wisdom ; it was exhibited by 
Jehovah in the creation of the world. The 
same thought is expanded in the personification 
of 8 : 22 f. Here there is not personification, as 
is shown especially in 20, the following verse, 
by his knowledge. The depths were 
broken up. The meanings assigned are va- 
rious. Some consider it to be a reference to 
the going forth of waters from the interior of 
the earth to flood the earth during the process 
of formation. Others refer it to events like 
the flood (Gen. t) ; see similarity in language. 
This would then be introduced to indicate 
that the destroying as well as the creating is 
from Jehovah. (See isa. 45 : 7.) Probably, how- 
ever, "were broken up" should be rendered 
broke forth, referring to the breaking forth of 
the subterranean mass of water in springs. 
"The depths" is a phrase often used of the 
waters under the earth. This rendering is fav- 
ored by the parallelism, the thought of a is 
thus more in harmony with b than in any other 
rendering. Then a refers to a part of the crea- 
tive activity of which the effects still continue, 
and b to a process continually repeated, in the 
present as well as in the past. Thus ver. 20 re- 
fers chiefly to present results of past creative 
activity, ver. 19 chiefly to the past creative ac- 
tivity in itself considered. 21. Them. The 
meaning is plain, and the antecedent should 
probably be understood to be the general idea 
of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in 
the preceding verses, rather than any specific 
word. Sound wisdom. See note on this 
word on 2:7. Here the present rendering is 
not inappropriate. B is an exhortation similar 
in thought to the statement of the purpose of 
the proverbs in 1 : 2-6. 22. Life. The word 
here is thought by some to include the ideas of 
mental and spiritual life. But it is better, in 



19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth ; 

By understanding he established the heavens. 

20 By his knowledge the depths were broken up. 
And the skies drop down the dew. 

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes ; 
Keep sound wisdom and discretion ; 

22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, 
And grace to thy neck. 

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, 
And thy foot shall not stumble. 

24 When thou liest down, thou shall not be afraid : 
Yea, thou Bhalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be 

sweet. 

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, 

Neither of the desolation of the wicked, when 
it cometh : 

26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, 
And shall keep thy foot from being taken. 

27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, 
When it is in the power of thine hand to do it. 



accordance with the common meaning, to limit 
it simply to physical life. B, see note on 1 : 9. 
23. And thy foot shall not stumble. It 

is better to render: And thou shalt not dash thy 
foot, as in the same Hebrew phrase in Ps. 91 : 
12. In Jer. 13 : 16 a different form of the same 
verb, ^JJ, naghaph, is used. 24. Somewhat 
similar to 6 : 22b ; the contrasted idea is ex- 
pressed in Deut. 28 : 66. It seems best to trans- 
late the verse, nearly with Fr., If thou liest 
down, thou shalt not be afraid, but thou shalt 
continue to rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 
"Continue to rest" is the same word as "lie 
down," shakhabh, the added meaning 

here comes only from the context. The meaning 
is : At night thou shalt not be disturbed by any 
form of terror, but rather shalt remain quiet, and 
the sleep shall be sweet. The chief argument 
for this rendering is that it gives a connected 
progressive meaning, while the rendering of the 
B. V. is repetitious. 25. Bender a : Thou 
needst not be afraid of sudden fear. Sudden 
fear, (see p s . 73 : 19.) The desolation of 
the wicked. This is threatened in 1 : 27. 
The phrase might mean either the desolation 
which the wicked cause, or that which they suffer. 
The latter is probably correct. It is in har- 
mony with the general thought of Proverbs, 
and is also the thought suggested by such pas- 
sages as 1 : 27. 26. Being taken, render: a 
snare. 27. Them, render, him, which is more 
in accordance with Hebrew idiom. Him to 
whom it is due, literally its owner, which 
would naturally mean here : one who has a 
right to it. It is commonly assumed that the 
verse is intended simply to refer to charity, and 
is designed to inculcate liberality in giving. 
There seems no reason, however, for the limita- 
tion, as the form of statement is general. It 
seems better, therefore, to give to the verse the 
general meaning, good being used in the com- 



30 



PKO VERBS 



[Ch. IV. 



28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come 
again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast 
it by thee. 

29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing 
he dwelleth securely by thee. 

30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he 
have done thee no harm. 

31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none 
of his ways. 

32 For the froward is abomination to the Lord : 
but his secret is with the righteous. 

33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the 
wicked ; but he blesseth the habitation of the just. 

34 Surely he scorneth the scorners : but he giveth 
grace unto the lowly. 

35 The wise shall inherit glory : but shame shall 
be the promotion of fools. 



mon sense "of benefit. The meaning is : With- 
hold not any benefit from its owner, the one who 
has a right to it, legal or moral ; be scrupulous 
in discharging all your obligations of every 
kind. 28. This verse is more specific than 
the preceding, referring specifically to money. 
There is no reason, however, to think of char- 
ity ; it is more natural to think of something 
due, such as wages. The verse would then be 
an admonition not to keep back wages, which 
would be similar to those found in Lev. 19 : 13 ; 
Deut. 24 : 15, and to the allusion in Mai. 3 : 5. 
29. A is similar to 6 : 14b. Seeing, perhaps 
better, while. 30b. See note on 6 : 14c. This 
verse is closely connected with the preceding ; it 
is really a specific application of the general 
principle there given. 31. Violence. J. F. 
McCurdy (" Biblical World," November, 1900, 
p. 381) would render simply injustice, although 
admitting that violence is also included. It is 
probable that violence is the more prominent 
element, so that violence is the better rendering. 
It means brutal force which regards neither 
divine nor human right. The connection of 
thought with ver. 30 is that a man of violence 
is one who would strive without cause. 32. 
This verse is probably to be connected in thought 
with ver. 31 ; the perverse man is similar to 
the man of violence. An abomination to 
the Lord. This combination is found only in 
Proverbs and Deuteronomy. " Abomination " 
is something abhorrent, incompatible with 
the very nature of Jehovah. Friendship (A. 
K. V.) is better than secret (E. V.). The 
real meaning is probably confidential inter- 
course, which would perhaps be a better render- 
ing. 33. For thought, see Zech. 5 : 3 f. ; Mai. 
2 : 2. 34. The usual understanding of a is 
given in the A. E. V. It is more in accordance 
with the usage of the Hebrew, however, to 
render, with Konig ("Syntax," § 319r) : If 
(or, When) (he deals) with scoffers, he scoffs. 
35. Eender: Wise men shall possess honor, but I 



28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, 
And to-morrow I will give ; 

When thou hast it by thee. 

29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, 
Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. 

30 Strive not with a man without cause, 
If he have done thee no harm. 

31 Envy thou not the man of violence, 
And choose none of his ways. 

32 For the perverse is an abomination to the Lord : 
But his secret is with the upright. 

33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the 

wicked ; 

But he blesseth the habitation of the righteous. 

34 Surely he scorneth the scorners, 
But he giveth grace unto the lowly. 

35 The wise shall inherit glory ; 

But shame shall be the promotion of fools. 



fools lift up (i. e., obtain) shame. There are 
various views of the Hebrew, but this seems to 
be the most natural rendering. 



Chap. 4. Most commentators transpose ver. 
18 and 19, considering them to have been acci- 
dentally transposed in copying. This is to be 
accepted, for two reasons. One is that ver. 19 
is closely connected with ver. 17, continuing the 
thought of the wicked, from which the thought 
naturally turns in closing the paragraph to the 
contrasted case of the righteous; while as it 
now stands ver. 18 comes in as an interruption. 
The other reason is that the conjunction " but," 
1, w e , at the beginning of ver. 18 is natural as 
marking contrast with ver. 19 if that precedes, 
but is unnatural as it stands, while the absence 
of a conjunction with ver. 19 is also unnatural 
as it stands. 

The general thought of the chapter : Exhorta- 
tion to hold fast to wisdom and warning against 
any form of evil, especially violence. Analy- 
sis: (1) ver. 1-9, exhortation to get and keep 
wisdom ; (2) ver. 10-27, warning against evil 
and evil men: (a) ver. 10-19, especially against 
violent men ; (6) ver. 20-27, against any devia- 
tion from the right path. Connection of thought : 
I n ( 1 ) , ver. 1 is an exhortation to heed the words 
of the author for two reasons : ver. 2, they are 
good ; ver. 3, 4a, the writer has profited from 
similar teachings given by his father. Ver. 4b- 
9 give these teachings, which are an exhortation 
to get and keep wisdom because of the bless- 
ings she bestows. In (2a), ver. 10 is an exhor- 
tation similar to that of ver. 1 ; ver. 11 gives a 
reason for it ; ver. 12 gives the result of follow- 
ing the exhortation ; ver. 13, a renewal of the 
exhortation ; ver. 14, 15, admonition to avoid 
the ways of evil men ; ver. 16, 17, two related 
reasons for this admonition ; ver. 19, 18 (see 
note above), description of the ways of the 
wicked and of the righteous. In (26), ver. 20, 
21 are an admonition to heed the words of the 



Ch. IV.] 



PROVERBS 



31 



CH APT 

1 HEAR, ye children, the instruction of a father, 
and attend to know understanding. 

2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my 
law. 

3 For I was my father's son, tender and only be- 
loved in the sight of my mother. 

4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine 
heart retain my words : keep my commandments, 
and live. 

5 Get wisdom, get understanding : forget it not ; 
neither decline from the words of my mouth. 

6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee : 
love her, and she shall keep thee. 

7 Wisdom is the principal thing ; therefore get wis- 
dom : and with all thy getting get understanding. 

8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee : she 
shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace 
her. 

9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of 
grace : a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. 

10 Hear, 0 my son, and receive my sayings ; and 
the years of thy life shall be many. 

11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom ; I 
have led thee in right paths. 

12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be strait- 
ened ; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not 
stumble. 

13 Take fast hold of instruction ; let her not go : 
keep her ; for she is thy life. 

14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go 
not in the way of evil men. 

15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass 
away. 



writer ; ver. 22, 23, their observance in soul and 
conduct will bring long life ; ver. 24-27, warning 
against any deviation from the right path. 

1. The verse is similar to 1 : 8. To know, 
i. e., so as to become acquainted with. 2. 
Law, render, teaching, and see note on 1:8. 
3. This verse is to be regarded as what is called 
a circumstantial clause, really subordinate to 
the following verse which introduces the prin- 
cipal thought, so that it should be rendered, 
ver. 3 : For, when I was a son, etc. ; ver. 4 : Then 
he taught me, etc. Only beloved, render, an 
only child. In the sight of probably means 
under the protection of. This would mean then 
not that he was necessarily an only child, but 
that he was in effect such, being the (youngest) 
one under the special care of his mother. 5. 
Omit it of R. V., as in A. R. V. B shows how 
to carry out the advice of a. 6. 8 : 17 is simi- 
lar. 7. Render : Tlie beginning of wisdom 
( is) get wisdom ; and at the cost of (or, in return 
for) all thy possessions get understanding. A 
means that the beginning of wisdom is to realize 
its importance and worth and to strive after it. 
B adds to this that it should be obtained at the 
cost of everything else. The rendering of a is 
more natural from the Hebrew than that of R. 
V. Some have thought that ver. 7 interrupts 
the connection and should therefore be omitted, 



ER IV. 

1 HEAR, my sons, the instruction of a father, 
And attend to know understanding : 

2 For I give you good doctrine ; 
Forsake ye not my law. 

3 For I was a son unto my father, 

Tender and only beloved in the sight of my 
mother. 

4 And he taught me, and said unto me, 
Let thine heart retain my words ; 
Keep my commandments, and live : 

5 Get wisdom, get understanding ; 

Forget it not, neither decline from the words of 
my mouth : 

6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee ; 
Love her, and she shall keep thee. 

7 Wisdom is the principal thing ; therefore get wis- 

dom : 

Yea, with all thou hast gotten get understanding. 

8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee : 

She shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost 
embrace her. 

9 She shall give to thine head a chaplet of grace : 
A crown of beauty shall she deliver to thee. 

10 Hear, 0 my son, and receive my sayings ; 
And the years of thy life shall be many. 

11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom ; 
I have led thee in paths of uprightness. 

12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be strait- 

ened ; 

And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 

13 Take fast hold of instruction ; let her not go : 
Keep her ; for she is thy life. 

14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, 
And walk not in the way of evil men. 

15 Avoid it, pass not by it ; 
Turn from it, and pass on. 



with G. It is not unnatural, however, that after 
the earnest exhortations to get wisdom, the 
question should be asked how to get it, to which 
ver. 7 is designed to be the answer. Ver. 7 thus 
connects itself quite closely with ver. 5, but it 
is not unusual that it should not follow immedi- 
ately. 9. Chaplet of grace. See note on the 
same phrase on 1 : 9. 

10. See note on 3 : 2. 11. Render: I teach 
thee ... J lead thee, etc. There is nothing to 
indicate that there is a reference to some past 
teaching ; the natural reference is to the present 
teaching which he is now giving. The verse 
thus, without for, really assigns a reason for 
ver. 10, as ver. 2 does for ver. 1. Way of 
wisdom. This might mean way to wisdom, 
as in Job 28 : 23, but more probably means 
the way which belongs to wisdom and comes 
from her, as in the similar expression in 3 : 
17. 12. This is closely connected with ver. 
10. For the phraseology in a, see Job 18 : 7, 
and for the thought, see also Ps. 18 : 36. 13. 
Let her not go. The result of the opposite is 
seen in Ezek. 18 : 26. For she is thy life 
means she preserves life, she gives length of 
days. (See ver. io.) 14a forbids entering into 
the way of evil men, b, continuing to ad- 
vance in it if one has been enticed therein. 15. 
Pass not by it means pass not along upon it. 



32 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. IV. 



16 For they sleep not, except they have done 
mischief ; and their sleep is taken away, unless 
they cause some to fall. 

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and 
drink the wine of violence. 

18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, 
that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 

19 The way of the wicked is as darkness : they 
know not at what they stumble. 

20 Sly son, attend to my words ; incline thine ear 
unto my sayings. 

21 Let them not depart from thine eyes ; keep 
them in the midst of thine heart. 

22 For they are life unto those that find them, and 
health to all their flesh. 

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence ; for out of 
it are the issues of life. 

24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and per- 
verse lips put far from thee. 

25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine 
eyelids look straight before thee. 



16. For gives a reason for the preceding ad- 
monitions to avoid the way of the wicked, which 
reason is to be found in the character of the 
wicked. For at the beginning of ver. 17 does 
not give a reason for ver. 16 but is rather to be 
regarded as co-ordinate with for in ver. 16, giv- 
ing another reason for the preceding admoni- 
tions. The two reasons are closely connected, 
however. Absence of food tends to sleepless- 
ness, abundance of food to sleep, so that sleep 
and food are associated in the two verses. 19. 
Stumble, better, -will stumble. 18. This verse 
is somewhat similar to Judg. 5 : 31. The shin- 
ing light, better, with A. It. V., the dawning 
light, or even better, the light of dawn. B. Ren- 
der : Which continually becomes brighter until 
full day. " Full day " is literally the established 
(part) of the day, Dl'n J13J, n e khdn hayydm. 
This has been understood by most commenta- 
tors to be a description of noonday, so called 
because the sun then seems to stand still in 
the heavens, or because the tongue of the bal- 
ance then stands upright. But both of these 
explanations are unnatural. It is better to re- 
gard it as a description of the morning when 
light is fully established, when the day has fully 
dawned, for the following reasons: (1) It is fav- 
ored by the parallelism, a refers naturally to the 
dawn. (2) A noun meaning midday is in com- 
mon use, which would naturally have been used 
to express that idea. (3) The literal rendering 
of the expression favors this view. The mean- 
ing established naturally suggests the full es- 
tablishment of light, which is in the morning, 
not at noon. The idea of standing still is only 
inferred, it is not expressed. The path of the 
righteous, then, is to be regarded as compared to 
the dawn, in which the light becomes continu- 
ally stronger until the day is fully established. 



16 For they sleep not, except they have done mis- 

chief ; 

And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause 
some to fall. 

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness 
And drink the wine of violence. 

18 But the path of the righteous is as the shining 

light. 

That shi neth more and more unto the perfect d ay. 

19 The way of the wicked is as darkness : 
They know not at what they stumble. 

20 My son, attend to my words ; 
Incline thine ear unto my sayings. 

21 Let them not depart from thine eyes ; 
Keep them in the midst of thine heart. 

22 For they are life unto those that find them, 
And health to all their flesh. 

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence ; 
For out of it are the issues of life. 

24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, 
And perverse lips put far from thee. 

25 Let thine eyes look right on. 

And let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 



It would naturally refer to a cloudless dawn, 
such as was common during the dry season. 
What is the point of comparison here with light 
and darkness respectively ? It would naturally 
be of the same kind in both. One would per- 
haps be inclined to think of them as having 
reference to moral character. But there is really 
nothing here to indicate that meaning ; all the 
evidence would point to the comparison as hav- 
ing reference to the result of moral character, 
viz, good and evil fortune respectively. This is 
indicated by the reference to stumbling in ver. 
19 ; it is darkness that causes stumbling, i. e. , mis- 
fortune. It is also indicated by the general fact 
that in Proverbs generally, and in this part as 
well as the others, the prosperity of the righteous 
and adversity of the wicked are often dwelt upon. 
In particular this is the thought with which a 
paragraph is apt to close, as in 2 : 21, 22. 

22. The thought is similar to that of ver. 10 
and 13 ; see also note on 3 : 2. Health, better, 
healing. 23. Heart is here used for the inner 
part of man in general ; render, soul. With 
all diligence. This is not the rendering 
properly of MT., but is obtained by a slight 
change, reading ^33, b e kMl, for ^30, mlkkSl, 
giving what is apparently the text of G. and 
S., although their translations may be only 
free renderings of MT. There seems to be no 
need of a change of text; render: more than 
all things to be guarded. Issues of life. 
Perhaps there is no better rendering. The 
meaning of b seems to be, for from it life in 
its various manifestations goes forth. The life 
of man, physical and spiritual, is controlled 
by his soul ; the internal governs the external. 
This is not, perhaps, a common thought in 
Proverbs, but other explanations give a forced 
meaning to some of the words. 25. This verse 



Ch. V.] 



PROVEKBS 



33 



26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy 
ways be established. 

27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left : re- 
move thy foot from evil. 



26 Make level the path of thy feet, 
And let all thy ways be established. 

27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left : 
Remove thy foot from evil. 



CHAPTER V. 



1 MY son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine 
ear to my understanding : 

2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that 
thy lips may keep knowledge. 

3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as a 
honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than 
oil: 

4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a 
twoedged sword. 

5 Her feet go down to death ; her steps take hold 
on hell. 

6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her 
ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. 



1 MY son, attend unto my wisdom ; 
Incline thine ear to my understanding . 

2 That thou mayest preserve discretion, 
And that thy lips may keep knowledge. 

3 For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, 
And her mouth is smoother than oil : 

4 But her latter end is bitter as wormwood, 
Sharp as a two-edged sword. 

5 Her feet go down to death ; 
Her steps take hold on Sheol ; 

6 So that she findeth not the level path of life : 
Her ways are unstable and she knoweth it not. 



is similar in thought to 17 : 24. The verse in- 
culcates singleness of purpose in following the 
right way. 26. Make level. Render, Look 
upon, i. e., consider carefully. It is an exhor- 
tation to careful attention to the way in order 
that it may not be lost. For the rendering see 
note on 5 : 6. Established means fixed, firm, 
not varying. The parallelism is really synony- 
mous. Careful attention means careful follow- 
ing of the path. The thought of the verse is 
similar to that of ver. 25. 27. The path of 
wisdom is a straight, level way. 



Chap. 5. The general thought of the chap- 
ter : Warning against the temptations of adul- 
teresses, and exhortation to lawful love. Analy- 
sis : (1) Ver. 1, 2, exhortation to attend to wis- 
dom; (2) ver. 3-6, the reason, statement of the 
end of adulteresses; (3) ver. 7-14, exhortation 
to avoid them entirely ; (4) ver. 15-19, exhorta- 
tion instead to the enjoyment of lawful wedded 
love; (5) ver. 20-23, general conclusion, pun- 
ishment is sure to overtake the evil-doer. Con- 
nection of thought. The thought of (1) and (2) 
is sufficiently indicated by the analysis and the 
notes. In (3) ver. 7, 8 are a general admonition 
to avoid adulteresses entirely; ver. 9-11 de- 
scribe the results of intercourse with them, 
chiefly loss of property ; ver. 12-14 give the 
final expression of regret. On (4) see the notes. 
In (5) ver. 20 is a summing up of the thought 
of ver. 15-19 ; ver. 21-23 give a reason for this 
exhortation : ver. 21, Jehovah sees all a man's 
acts ; ver. 22, 23, as a result of this knowledge 
follows the certainty that punishment will come 
upon sin. This is not limited to adultery, but 
is generalized. It is the connection with ver. 
21 that indicates that the punishment of ver. 22, 
23 comes from Jehovah. 

3. Strange woman, see note on 2 : 16. 
4. Render with R. V., But her latter end 



is, not But in the end she is (A. R. V.). The 
verse refers not chiefly to her own fate, but 
rather to that which she is really preparing for 
others, for those whom she entices. Worm- 
wood is the direct antithesis of honey in ver. 
3 ; sharp, in contrast with smooth of ver. 3. 
6. Render: So that she does not look upon the 
path of life ; her paths waver (and) she does not 
know it. It is probable that b is to be regarded 
as the protasis and a as the apodosis, so that the 
meaning will be brought out more clearly in 
English by transposing the clauses, as follows : 
Her paths waver (and) she does not know it, so 
that she does not look upon the path of life. " She 
does not know it" is subordinate, so that the 
prominent thought is that her paths waver ; the 
result of this is that she does not look upon the 
path of life. The verse is thus largely a nega- 
tive statement of that which is expressed posi- 
tively in ver. 5 ; there it is stated that her feet go 
down to death, here that she does not look upon 
the path of life. "Path of life " is to be under- 
stood in the usual meaning, a path that leads to 
continued physical life, the opposite of prema- 
ture death. There is no reason for giving any 
other meaning than this usual one to "life" 
here. The rendering above given differs from the 
usual one in the meaning assigned to the verb 
in a. The verb is , pal&s, in the Hebrew. 
This is variously translated, but is usually sup- 
posed to have the fundamental meaning, make 
level. That meaning, however, is not particu- 
larly appropriate here and in most of the pas- 
sages ; in one or two it is decidedly inappropri- 
ate. It is noticeable that no good reason exists 
for giving this fundamental meaning to the 
Hebrew root. It seems better, therefore, to 
identify the root with the Assyrian root paldsu, 
which is precisely the same verb in form, and 
means to look upon, see. The meaning thus 
afforded is more appropriate than the one usu- 



34 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. V. 



7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and de- 
part not from the words of my mouth. 

8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not 
nigh the door of her house : 

9 Lest thou give thiue honour unto others, and 
thy years unto the cruel : 

10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth ; and 
thy labours be in the house of a stranger ; 

11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh 
and thy body are consumed, 

12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and 
my heart despised reproof ; 

13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, 
nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me ! 

14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the 
congregation and assembly. 



7 Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me, 
And depart not from the words of my mouth. 

8 Remove thy way far from her, 

And come not nigh the door of her house : 

9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, 
And thy years unto the cruel : 

10 Lest strangers be filled with thy strength ; 
And thy labours be in the house of an alien ; 

11 And thou mourn at thy latter end, 

When thy flesh and thy body are consumed, 

12 And say, How have I hated instruction, 
And my heart despised reproof ; 

13 Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, 
Nor inclined mineeartothem that instructed me ! 

14 I was well nigh in all evil 

In the midst of the congregation and assembly. 



ally given. It is certainly better in this passage. 
It is specially appropriate in 4 : 26, where 
it is used in connection with the preceding 
verse which speaks entirely of seeing, and 
in 5 : 21b, where it is directly suggested by 
the parallelism, and it is not inappropriate in 
Isa. 26 : 7. In Ps. 78 : 50 probably it should be 
given the meaning which the common Hebrew 
word for see, nX"1, rati, sometimes has, viz, pre- 
pare, provide. The meaning look upon may also 
easily be given to the word in Ps. 58 : 2, instead 
of the denominative meaning usually assigned. 
These are all the passages in which the word 
occurs. 1 

7. This verse introduces what is to be regarded 
as a new paragraph, although closely connected 
with the preceding, so that Now, therefore in- 
troduces an express conclusion from the preced- 
ing verses. Sons, probably an allusion to 4 : 1. 
8. The verse means in general : do not associate 
with her. B is similar to Job 31 : 9. 9. Thine 
honor is usually understood to be the manly 
vigor of youth wasted in lust, a possible mean- 
ing of the phrase, and thy years are supposed 
to mean the years lost by an early death, proba- 
bly inflicted by the injured husband. But in 
opposition to this understanding of the verse is 
the fact that the following verse, 10, plainly 
speaks of the loss of property, and there is no 
allusion in the remainder of the paragraph, 
through ver. 14, to loss of life. There would be 
an obvious inconsistency in speaking of death 
first as the punishment, and afterward of the 
loss of property. In the connection, therefore, 
it is better, with Fr., to understand "years" in 
ver. 9 as used by metonymy for the fruit of the 
years, wealth. " Honor" in ver. 9, Tin, hodh, 
has usually the meaning, splendor, majesty. This 
would easily pass over into the meaning of prop- 
erty. Ver. 9 and 10 would then both refer to the 
loss of property ; they are not tautological, how- 
ever, for they express the same general idea in 



different phraseology, which is often the case. 
The cruel is often thought to refer specifically 
to the husband. More probably, however, it 
should be given a general application, as refer- 
ring to any of those into whose power such 
courses would lead the one to whom advice is 
given, including the husband. 10. Strangers 
— alien. Various specific meanings have been 
given to these words. It is doubtful if we are 
to seek for a specific meaning; it is probable 
that the meaning is rather general, those 
strangers to you, in whom you have no interest, 
probably intended to be in implied contrast with 
one's own relatives, to whom his property would 
naturally go. The important point is, you lose 
your property ; some may go to the husband as 
gifts (see 6: 35), while some maybe squandered 
on the woman and those associated with her. 
Strength, render, wealth. Thy labors, i. e., 
the result of the labors. 11. Latter end, 
probably not specifically the end of life, as 
sometimes, but at the conclusion of the experi- 
ence, finally. B is sometimes supposed to refer 
to the physical results of a dissolute life. But 
this is not the usual point of view of Proverbs, 
in which emphasis is laid rather upon the more 
striking effects, such as loss of property, as the 
more obvious results of sin. Others think that 
it is to be taken as a figurative account of the 
loss of property, as in Micah 3 : 2f. It seems 
rather more natural, because giving a good 
meaning without figurative use of the language, 
to regard it as describing physical condition, 
but not directly as the result of a dissolute life, 
rather as the result of the poverty and anxiety 
which come from the loss of property already 
described. 14. In all evil. This means not 
moral evil, but in all calamity, i. e., in the 
greatest calamity. The calamity referred to 
must be death, and this is not death at the hands 
of the husband, but as a punishment for 
adultery, inflicted in the presence of the con- 



1 Haupt, (in " Sacred Books of the Old Testament," Proverbs, p. 39), suggests the same meaning for 
pal&s, in a part of its occurrences. That work appeared, however, after the 
manuscript of this commentary was prepared. 



Ch. VI.] 



PROVERBS 



35 



15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and 
running waters out of thine own well. 

16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and 
rivers of waters in the streets. 

17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' 
with thee. 

18 Let thy fountain be blessed : and rejoice with 
the wife of thy youth. 

19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe ; 
let her breasts satisfy thee at all times ; and be 
thou ravished always with her love. 

20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with 
a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a 
stranger ? 

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the 
Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. 

22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked him- 
self, and he shall be holden with the cords of his 
sins. 

23 He shall die without instruction ; and in the 
greatness of his folly he shall go astray. 



gregation, as b shows. This was the legal pun- 
ishment Of adultery. (See Lev. 20 : 10 ; Deut. 22 : 22-27. ) 
This statement probably does not mean that 
he was tried and acquitted, or succeeded in 
escaping punishment. It is difficult to see how 
he could have been acquitted if brought to 
trial, but rather that he only barely escaped 
being prosecuted. He had suffered about every- 
thing else, in the way of loss of property, and 
might reasonably have expected the punishment 
of death as well. The force of Lest, in ver. 
10, ends here. 

15. Ver. 15-19 (it should be 18) are regarded 
by Konig (Stilistik, p. 109), as an allegory, prob- 
ably correctly. The basis of the allegory is the 
comparison of sexual enjoyment to the drinking 
of water, the point of comparison probably being 
the satisfaction of the natural desires of man. 
Ver. 15 would then mean, satisfy your sexual 
desires in connection with your own wife. 16. 
In this verse it is thought by many that the 
representation of ver. 15 is reversed, so that 
springs and streams refer to the man. This 
would be very unnatural. The meaning should 
be in general harmony with the preceding and 
following. Others think that the words refer to 
the man's wife, involving the implied thought 
that if the husband break the marriage vow the 
wife may naturally be expected to do the same. 
This is better, but such an implied thought is 
not altogether natural. It seems best, therefore, 
to take "thy springs" and "streams" not in 
the sense of those which thou ownest, i. e., a wife, 
but those which thou enjoyest, in this verse used 
of a harlot, and in ver. 17 of the wife. This 
seems to involve the least difficulty. The 
meaning of ver. 16 then is, let not the water 
which thou drinkest be from sources common 
to all, but (ver. n) from that which is only 
for thyself. 17. This statement is in the form 



15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, 
And running waters out of thine own well. 

16 Should thy springs be dispersed abroad, 
And rivers of water in the streets? 

17 Let them be for thyself alone, 
And not for strangers with thee. 

18 Let thy fountain be blessed ; 

And rejoice in the wife of thy youth. 

19 As a loving hind and a pleasant doe. 
Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times ; 
And be thou ravished always with her love. 

20 For why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished 

with a strange woman, 
And embrace the bosom of a stranger? 

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the 

Lord, 

And he maketh level all his paths. 

22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked, 

And he shall be holden with the cords of his sin. 

23 He shall die for lack of instruction ; 

And in the greatness of his folly he shall go 
astray. 



of an answer to ver. 16, although the answer 
to that verse is supposed to be really obvi- 
ous. 18. Blessed is by many referred ex- 
clusively to that which in the Old Testament 
is so often spoken of as the blessing of wedded 
life, viz, children. No such specific reference, 
however, seems demanded by the context, so 
that it is better to regard it as general, including 
that idea, blessed in general through God's 
sanction of legitimate enjoyment. B is also 
to be taken in the same general meaning. 19. 
Doe, render, gazelle, which is more probably 
correct. In ver. 15-19 the wife, in contrast with 
the harlot, is spoken of as a legitimate, as con- 
trasted with an illegitimate means of gratifying 
sexual desire. This does not mean, of course, 
that the author considered the marriage relation 
as consisting only of this side, but this was the 
side which had force for his argument. The 
Apostle Paul uses a similar thought in a similar 
way in 1 Cor. 7:9. 

20. Why. The Hebrew word, TlftS, lam/ma, 
shows that the meaning here is purpose, not 
cause. The thought is not for what cause, but 
for what purpose, with what intention. Stran ge 
woman . . . stranger. See note on 2 : 16. 
21. Similar to 15 : 3. Maketh level. Pen- 
der, looks upon, and see note on ver. 6. 23. 
He shall go astray. It is probably better to 
render, he shall reel, the word that is used of a 
drunken man, i. e., he shall stagger and fall. 



6 : 1-19. The general thought of the sec- 
tion : Warnings against various common faults. 
These warnings are (1) ver. 1-5, against surety- 
ship ; (2) ver. 6-11, against laziness ; (3) ver. 12- 
15, against general worthlessness ; (4) ver. 16- 
19, against seven specific sins. For further state- 
ments concerning the connection of thought see 
the notes. 



36 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. VI. 



CH APT 

1 MY son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if 
thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, 

2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, 
thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 

3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when 
thou art come into the hand of thy friend ; go, 
humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. 

4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to 
thine eyelids. 

5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the 
hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. 

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard ; consider her 
ways, and be wise : 

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gather- 
eth her food in the harvest. 

9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when 
wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little fold- 
ing of the hands to sleep : 

11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travel- 
leth, and thy want as an armed man. 



1-5. The specific references to the matter of 
suretyship concerning property are all in Prov- 
erbs. The fact that there is no mention of it in 
the law would indicate that the practice was not 
a very common one. The references in Proverbs, 
aside from the present passage, ver. 1-5, are 
11 : 15 ; 17 : 18 ; 20 : 16 ; 22 : 26 f ; 27 : 13. There 
are references to suretyship in Ecclesiasticus. 
The Hebrew phrase used in ver. 1, *7 
'drdbh l e , never elsewhere means to become 
surety for one. Hence it is better to render 
with in both clauses of ver. 1, instead of for. 
Then neighbor and stranger both refer to 
the creditor, not the debtor. For "stranger" 
render another. 2 is sometimes regarded as 
part of the protasis, sometimes as the beginning 
of the apodosis. In the former ease the thought 
of this passage is not the condemnation of all 
suretyship, but only of that which is ensnar- 
ing ; in the latter case all is condemned, no 
exception being made. What is the thought of the 
other passages in Proverbs ? 20 : 16 and 27 : 13 are 
not explicit (see notes there), but the other pas- 
sages, naturally interpreted, condemn all surety- 
ship, as might be expected in the intense form of 
expression of Proverbs. Hence it is better to re- 
gard the thought here as the same, and ver. 2 as 
the beginning of the apodosis. This is also more 
probable from the Hebrew phraseology. Neigh- 
bor in ver. 3 should naturally have the same 
application as in ver. 1, i. e., to the creditor. In 
ver. 1 it is stated that the man addressed is to 
seek deliverance from the power of the creditor, 
which must be by a release from his obligation. 
This, however, would naturally be before the 



EE VI. 

1 MY son, if thou art become surety for thy 
neighbour, 

If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger, 

2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, 
Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 

3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, 
Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neigh- 
bour ; 

Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neigh- 
bour. 

4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, 
Nor slumber to thine eyelids. 

5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the 

hunter, 

And as a bird from the hand of- the fowler. 

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard ; 
Consider her ways, and be wise : 

7 Which having no chief, 
Overseer, or ruler, 

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, 
And gathereth her food in the harvest. 

9 How long wilt thou sleep, 0 sluggard? 
When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, 

A little folding of the hands to sleep : 

11 So shall thy poverty come as a robber, 
And thy want as an armed man. 



time of payment, not after, as is commonly as- 
sumed. Hence ver. 4 inculcates diligence ; at- 
tend to the matter before the time of payment, 
after which time no mercy is to be expected. A 
release from the obligation might not unnatu- 
rally be obtained in some manner before the 
time of payment, it could hardly be expected 
later. The interests of the one for whom one 
became surety are not considered here, it is the 
way of escaping from the danger. The various 
other views of the passage which have been 
held need not be considered in detail. Perhaps 
the most common interpretation is that which 
understands the " neighbor " of ver. 3 to be the 
debtor for whom one has become surety. Then 
ver. 3-5 are understood to mean, go to the debtor 
and urge him to pay, so that you need not be 
held for the debt. That is the kind of advice 
that would be so obvious that it would seem un- 
necessary to give it, and the action proposed 
would be in most cases ineffectual, so that 
the statement of 3, deliver thyself, would 
hardly seem to be warranted. 3b is a paren- 
thetical clause explaining " deliver thyself" of 
a. 3c, the rendering of R. V. is probably cor- 
rect, although not certainly so. This means : 
comply with any conditions demanded, however 
humiliating, that ensure your release. 

6. Ant, nSoj, n'mala, only used here and 
in 30 : 25. Be wise, better, become we. 8. 
Meat. Pender, food, with A. R. V. 9. The 
thought of 20 : 13a is similar to that of ver. 9- 
11. 10. Identical with 24 : 33. This verse is 
the answer to ver. 9 put into the mouth of the 
sluggard. 11. Nearly identical with 24 : 34. 



Ch. VI.] 



PROVERBS 



37 



12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh 
with a froward mouth. 

13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his 
feet, he teacheth with his fingers ; 

14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mis- 
chief continually; he soweth discord. 

15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly ; 
suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. 

16 These six things doth the Lord hate ; yea, 
seven are an abomination unto him : 

17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that 
shed innocent blood, 

18 A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, 
feet that be swift in running to mischief, 

19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that 
soweth discord among brethren. 



This is the response of the writer to ver. 10. 
The thought naturally suggested by the com- 
parisons in ver. 11 is not swiftness, but irresist- 
ibleness. 

12a. Render: A man of worthlessnets is a 
man of trouble, or more freely, A worthless man 
is a man to whom trouble comes. The Hebrew 
word here rendered trouble, R. V., iniquity, 
jltf, 'dwln, is a word which several times in 
Proverbs means wickedness, iniquity, but in at 
least two passages, 22 : 8 and 12 : 21, has the 
meaning trouble, calamity, which is quite com- 
mon elsewhere, and, in fact, is probably the 
original meaning of the word. The latter ren- 
dering is to be preferred here. It is necessary, 
in order to avoid the tautology and the diffi- 
culty of construction which seem to be inevita- 
ble on any other view. It is also favored by the 
connection of thought, especially by ver. 15, 
which thus becomes an expansion of the thought 
here. The thought is similiar to that of 22 : 8. 
"Man of trouble," [IN 'ish 'awin, is a 

phrase precisely similar to man of death, AID 
CrX, 'ish mawlth, rendered worthy of death in 
1 Kings 2 : 26. In 12b render as in A. R. V., 
but omit he ; b is a clause parallel in con- 
struction to ver. 13. Ver. 12b, 13, and 14 are 
explanations and expansions of the phrase A 
worthless man of ver. 12a. 13. Speaketh, 
render, shuffles. The specific signification of 
the various acts of this verse is not indicated, 
in general it is evident that they are a part of 
underhanded, stealthy activity. 14b is similar 
to 3 : 29a. 14c. For similar disapproval of con- 
tention, see especially ver. 19b ; 3 : 30; 15 : lb; 
16 : 28 ; 17 : 14, 19a ; 20 : 3b ; and for the con- 
trasted idea, Ps. 34 : 14. 15. The form of state- 
ment is entirely general, and would therefore 
cover both direct visitation from the hand of 
God, and disaster which comes through the 
agency of man. The thing asserted is the cer- 
tainty of the coming of disaster, in some way or 



12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity ; 
He walketh with a froward mouth ; 

13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his 

feet, 

He maketh signs with his fingers ; 

14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil 

continually ; 
He soweth discord. 

15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly ; 
On a sudden shall he be broken, and that with- 
out remedy. 

16 There be six things which the Lord hateth ; 
Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him : 

17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, 

And hands that shed innocent blood ; 

18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, 
Feet that be swift in running to mischief ; 

19 A false witness that uttereth lies, 

And he that soweth discord among brethren. 



other. Omit and that. Without remedy 

distinctly marks this punishment as different 
from some punishments which are merely tem- 
porary. 

16-19. The connection of these verses with 
the preceding is furnished by ver. 19b, which 
refers to ver. 14c. 16. Six . . . yea, seven. 
This is an emphatic way of saying seven ; phrase- 
ology similar to this is quite common in the Old 
Testament. The only other cases of a similar 
use of numbers in Proverbs are in 30 : 18, 21, 29, 
and also in 30 : 15 according to the common 
view, but see note there. There is no special 
significance in the use of a particular number, 
for several different numbers are used. 17. 
Somewhat similar collections of particulars are 
found in Ps. 5 : 6; 31 : 18. Haughty eyes, 
similar to 30 : 13 ; Ps. 18 : 27 ; 131 : 1 ; Isa. 2 : 
11. A lying tongue. See 12 : 19b, 22a ; 17 : 7b. 
That shed innocent blood. See 1 : 11 f., 
16. 18b is similar to 1 : 16a. 19b. See note 
on ver. 14c. 

6 : 20 to 7 : 27. The general thought of the 
section : Warning against adulteresses because 
they lead to destruction. Analysis: (1) 6 : 20-35, 
general warning against adulteresses because of 
the consequences which are sure to follow adul- 
tery ; (2) 7 : 1-27, continuation of the warnings, 
especially in the form of a description of the way 
in which such temptation really comes. Connec- 
tion of thought. In (1) 6 : 20-23 give an ad- 
monition to heed carefully the teaching of par- 
ents ; ver. 24, these teachings preserve one from 
danger from adulteresses ; ver. 25, admonition 
to avoid adulteresses ; ver. 26-35, the inevitable 
consequences of intercourse with an adulteress, 
loss of property, danger to life, wounds, and dis- 
honor. In (2) 7 : 1-4 give an admonition simi- 
lar to that of 6 : 20-23 to heed carefully the 
teachings of the writer (the writer here corre- 
sponding to the parents in 6 : 20-23) ; ver. 5, 
very similar to 6 : 24, these teachings preserve 



38 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. VI. 



20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and 
forsake not the law of thy mother : 

21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and 
tie them about thy neck. 

22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee ; when thou 
sleepest, itsball keep thee ; and when thou awakest, 
it shall talk with thee. 

23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law 
is light ; and reproofs of instruction are the way of 
life: 

24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the 
flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. 

25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart ; 
neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 

26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is 
brought to a piece of bread : and the adulteress will 
hunt for the precious life. 

27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his 
clothes not be burned ? 

28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be 
burned ? 

29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife ; 
whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. 

30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy 
his soul when he is hungry ; 



one from danger from adulteresses ; ver. 6-20, 
a description of a typical case of the temptation 
of an inexperienced youth by an adulteress; 
ver. 21-23, his yielding and the inevitable re- 
sult, death; ver. 24-27, general conclusion, re- 
newed admonition to avoid the adulteress, be- 
cause her ways lead to death. 

20. Almost identical with 1 : 8. Law, ren- 
der, teaching, and see note on 1 : 8. 21. See 
note on 3 : 3. A. Continually, expresses the 
result of the binding, meaning, so as to be per- 
manent. 22. In ver. 21 a plural pronoun was 
used, referring to the nouns of ver. 20 thought 
of individually as two ; the singular pronoun in 
ver. 22 refers to the thought of the same nouns, 
but is a construction according to sense, the two 
nouns are thought of as practically one. B is 
somewhat similar to 3 : 24. 23. For, assigns 
the reason why the teaching is able to do that 
which is stated in ver. 22. For the command- 
ment . . . and the law, render, For a com- 
mandment . . . and teaching, and see note on 
1 : 8. There is no doubt here an allusion to 
the use of the same words in ver. 20, but since 
the words have no article in the Hebrew it 
seems best to regard them as being a generaliza- 
tion of ver. 20, the teaching of thy parents and 
any similar teaching. Lamp, see Ps. 119 : 105. 
The way of life, see 2 : 19 ; 3 : 2, 16 ; 5 : 6. 
24. For this verse see 2 : 16, which is very simi- 
lar. To keep thee. The meaning would prob- 
ably be better expressed by rendering, keeping 
thee. Stranger's. See note on 2 : 16. 25a. 
See similar language in Exod. 20 : 17 ; Ps. 45 : 
11 ; Matt. 5 : 28. In thy heart, means simply 
within thee. Take thee. A similar phrase is 
found in Eccl. 7 : 26. 26. The form of expres- 

1 See " American Journal of Semi 



20 My son, keep the commandment of thy father, 
And forsake not the law of thy mother : 

21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, 
Tie them about thy neck. 

22 When thou walkest, it shall lead thee ; 
When thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee ; 
And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 

23 For the commandment is a lamp ; and the law 

is light ; 

And reproofs of instruction are the way of life : 

24 To keep thee from the evil woman, 
From the flattery of the stranger's tongue. 

25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart ; 
Neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 

26 For on account of a whorish woman a man is 

brought to a piece of bread : 
And the adulteress hunteth for the precious life. 

27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, 
And his clothes not be burned ? 

28 Or can one walk upon hot coals, 
And his feet not be scorched ? 

29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife ; 
Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished. 

30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal 
To satisfy his soul when he is hungry : 



sion of a seems elliptical and awkward. Many 
different views of its meaning have been held, 
and several changes of text have been sug- 
gested. A reading may be suggested, involving 
only a slight change of one letter in the conson- 
antal text, ilM-TH I^N \3, ki bhaar'esh haz- 
z6na, for njl'f ntyj4~l>'3 '3, ^ bh e 'ddh 'ishsha 
z6na, which then would be rendered, For the fire 
of a harlot consumes even unto apiece of bread. 1 
This removes the elliptical and awkward nature 
of the expression, and provides a natural mean- 
ing as well as phraseology. It is favored by the 
fact that the use of the same figure, "fire," in 
connection with harlots is continued in ver. 27, 
28. The meaning would thus be, the destruct- 
iveness of the harlot, indicated by fire, con- 
tinues to operate until the man affected is re- 
duced to a morsel of bread. The parallelism 
then is synonymous, a, indicating the destitu- 
tion caused by the destructive activity of a har- 
lot, and b, the danger to life by reason of an 
adulteress, presented by a different figure. For 
the parallelism, see further note on 2 : 16. 27. 
Bosom, better, lap. 29. A statement in posi- 
tive form, applying the thought of the questions 
of ver. 27, 28. Shall not be unpunished. 
The statement is general in form, including both 
human and divine punishment. There is no rea- 
son for restricting it, as many do, to human pun- 
ishment. It is a positive statement as to the fact 
of punishment, not as to the precise method. 
30-32. The difficulty here is chiefly concern- 
ing the meaning of ver. 30 and its connection 
with what follows. Many different opinions 
have been held. Without recounting these, 
the following is indicated as the meaning and 
connection of thought which is most natural, 

tic Languages," Vol. XIX., p. 53 



Ch. VI.] 



PROVERBS 



39 



31 But if be be found, he shall restore sevenfold ; 
he shall give all the substance of his house. 

32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman 
lacketh understanding : he that doeth it destroyeth 
his own soul. 

33 A wound and dishonour shall he get ; and his 
reproach shall not be wiped away. 

34 For jealousy is the rage of a man : therefore 
he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 

35 He will not regard any ransom ; neither will 
he rest content, though thou givest many gifts. 



because not giving to any portion a forced in- 
terpretation. Ver. 30 is to be regarded as a de- 
clarative, not an interrogative, statement. Ver. 
31 is to be rendered, But one found must re- 
store seven-fold ; he must give all the substance of 
his house. Ver. 30 and 31 speak of two different 
cases. The great objection to regarding them as 
referring to the same case is that in the very 
nature of things one who is stealing to satisfy 
his hunger would be utterly unable to restore 
seven-fold. Ver. 30 describes a man who steals 
and eats at once. Ver. 31 gives the case of the 
man who is not prompted by hunger, but who 
steals and keeps, and is found, i. e., is caught 
with the plunder in his possession. Ver. 30 and 
31 are in contrast, but the phraseology is Orien- 
tally intense, it is the idiom of exaggerated con- 
trast, where the relatively unimportant is abso- 
lutely denied, as in 8 : 10 and elsewhere. The 
meaning is that comparatively men do not de- 
spise the one who steals from hunger, that is, he 
is not despised and treated with the severity with 
which men treat the man who is caught with 
plunder for which he has no such excuse. This 
meaning is indicated by the fact that an absolute 
justification of a thief who steals from hunger 
would be contrary to sound morality, and there is 
no reason for attributing the thought to the writer 
here, when this other meaning suits the language 
used equally well. These two verses, while 
giving a good meaning in themselves, are really 
intended to lead up to ver. 32. The relation of 
thought is not expressed, it is, however, clearly 
implied. The adulterer is compared to the 
second case ; his is not a case for which one can 
find any real excuse which mitigates the offense. 
But ver. 32b-35 would indicate that there is an 
additional thought, that the comparison is not 
simply with the second case rather than the 
first, but the consequences which follow show it 
to be even worse than the second case. The 
results of stealing mentioned are summed up in 
loss of property; the results of adultery include 
more than that. Men do despise him and treat 
him with such severity that his case is even 
worse than that of the thief who has no excuse. 
31. Sevenfold. This is not strictly according 



31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold ; 
He shall give all the substance of his house. 

32 He that committeth adultery with a woman is 

void of understanding: 
He doeth it that would destroy his own soul. 

33 Wounds and dishonour shall he get ; 

And his reproach shall not be wiped away. 

34 For jealousy is the rage of a man ; 

And he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 

35 He will not regard any ransom ; 

Neither will he rest content, though thou givest 
many gifts. 



to the law, which prescribes twofold, Exod. 22 : 
4, or four or fivefold, Exod. 22 : 1. These dif- 
ferent regulations suggest, however, that the pro- 
cedure was not absolutely uniform. Probably 
the statement here has in mind a private settle- 
ment, at which prevailing custom would govern. 
This statement is strengthened in b. 32b may 
be rendered more literally, Me destroys him- 
self tvho does it. This statement is amplified in 
the following verses, showing how this takes 
place. The appeal is here, as often in Proverbs, 
to the practical motive of an enlightened self- 
interest. The rendering, Me destroys himself, 
makes the thought general, not an exclusive 
reference to death, as the following verses show. 
It means he destroys his own best interests in 
general. 33. The fact that in the preceding 
verse it is adultery distinctively which is spoken 
of, and the fact that in the two following verses 
it is the injured husband who is in mind make 
it probable that he is thought of chiefly here, 
particularly in the use of the word wounds. 
In the law the punishment of adultery was death 

for both parties (Deut. 22 : 22-24 ; Lev. 20 : 10 ; see 

Ezek. 23 : 46-47). As death is not mentioned here 
it is probable that the reference is not to judi- 
cial punishment, but to that inflicted by the 
husband in private vengeance. The punishment 
of the woman is not mentioned, probably both 
because it is not judicial punishment that is in 
mind, and also because, as in other similar cases, 
the thought of the author is not concerned with 
the consequences to the woman, but to the man, 
as he is giving advice to men. Reproach, 
better, ignominy. 34. Day of vengeance. 
This might be either legal or private. But the 
fact that the injured husband is referred to, and 
also that there are no references to strictly legal 
punishments, would indicate that the reference 
is to the private vengeance. 35. Ransom is 
general, anything given in place of punishment. 
Gifts is more specific, being used simply of 
money. It often means bribes, which is not the 
thought here, although similar to that. Here, 
as indicated already, the reference is to a private 
settlement by acceptance of money, instead of 
the infliction of punishment. 



40 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. VII. 



CH APT 

1 MY son, keep my words, and lay up my com- 
mandments with thee. 

2 Keep my commandments, and live ; and my 
law as the apple of thine eye. 

3 Bind them upon thy ringers, write them upon 
the table of thine heart. 

4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister ; and call 
understanding thy kinswoman : 

5 That they may keep thee from the strange 
woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her 
words. 

6 For at the window of my house I looked 
through my casement, 

7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned 
among the youths, a young man void of under- 
standing, 

8 Passing through the street near her corner ; 
and he went the way to her house, 

9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black 
and dark night : 

10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the 
attire of a harlot, and subtile of heart. 

11 (She is loud and stubborn ; her feet abide not 
in her house : 

12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and 
lieth in wait at every corner.) 



Chap. 7. 1 is similar to 3 : 1 and several 
other passages. 2. Law, render teaching, and 
see note on 1 : 8. The apple of thine eye, 
better, the pupil of thine eye. This is mentioned 
here as a type of the most precious things, as 
also in Deut. 32 : 10 ; Ps. 17 : 8. 3. Fingers. 
The reference here is not to phylacteries, which 
were a later custom, but probably to seal rings; 
there is perhaps an allusion to such passages as 
Exod. 13 : 16 ; Deut. 6:8; 11 : 18. The tahle 
of thine heart, (see note m s : 3.) Heart, 
render, mind. 5. Very similar to 2 : 16 and 6 : 
24; see also 5 : 3. That they may keep 
thee. This is probably to be connected not 
simply with ver. 4, but with all the preceding 
verses of the chapter. Strange woman . . . 
stranger. (See note on 2 : 16.) 6. This verse in- 
troduces a long illustrative passage, describing 
by way of example such a case as frequently 
happens, which shows the danger mentioned in 
ver. 5. 8. The introduction of the pronouns 
here to which there is no immediate antecedent 
is somewhat uncommon, but not unprecedented. 
It gives no reason for changing the text, as the 
meaning is plain. The pronouns are probably 
to be regarded as referring back in thought to 
ver. 5, or rather to a woman in mind who is of 
the class there mentioned. Render, Passing 
along the street near her corner, u'alking in the 
way to her house. The R. V. implies that he 
was intentionally seeking her house. Nothing 
here indicates that, and ver. 10 distinctly implies 
the opposite. He was merely walking about 
and chanced to go near her house. She did the 
seeking. This is the thought indicated in the 
translation given. Her corner, the corner 



ER VII. 

| 1 MY son, keep my words, 

And lay up my commandments with thee. 

2 Keep my commandments and live ; 
And my law as the apple of thine eye. 

3 Bind them upon thy lingers ; 

Write them upon the table of thine heart. 

4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister ; 
And call understanding thy kinswoman : 

5 That they may keep thee from the strange 

woman, 

From the stranger which flattereth with her 

words. 

6 For at the window of my house 

I looked forth through my lattice ; 

7 And I beheld among the simple ones, 
I discerned among the youths, ' 

A young man void of understanding, 

8 Passing through the street near her corner, 
And he went the way to her house ; 

9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, 
In the blackness of night and the darkness. 

10 And, behold, there met him a woman 

With the attire of an harlot, and wily of heart. 

11 She is clamorous and. wilful ; 
Her feet abide not in her house : 

12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, 
And lieth in wait at every corner. 



near her house. 9. It seems plain that a 
refers to twilight, b to midnight. Some think 
that we have here a single case, protracted from 
twilight to about midnight. That seems quite 
unlikely, however, if we are to regard the meet- 
ing as accidental on the man's part, which is 
plainly implied elsewhere. It is better, therefore, 
to regard the statement as covering two classes 
of cases, in the early evening, and in the middle 
of the night. A single instance is described, to 
be sure, but as typical, and this statement comes 
in here to indicate that there is danger to 
be apprehended at any time of night. The 
meaning would be brought out by understand- 
ing or before b. 10. Behold introduces what 
follows as new and somewhat unusual, and im- 
plies that the appearance of the woman was 
unexpected by the man. There met him, 
render, there comes to meet him. A woman. 
Some think it necessary to add the article, the 
woman, i. e., the one mentioned in ver. 8. Here, 
however, is simply a regular Hebrew idiom by 
which the article is occasionally omitted with a 
noun really definite when the intention is to 
emphasize character and not individuality. No 
doubt the reference is to the woman of ver. 8. 
But by the omission of the article the attention 
is called not so much to that fact as it is to her 
character, which appears here in the added state- 
ments of b, ver. 11, 12. 11. Clamorous and 
wilful, better, boisterous and rebellious, the 
latter word referring especially to her attitude 
toward her husband. Ver. 11, 12 are parentheti- 
cal, giving a description of the character and cus- 
tomary actions of this woman ; ver. 13 resumes 
the narrative of ver. 10. 12. Broad places, 



Ch. VII.] 



PROVERBS 



41 



13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with 
an impudent face said unto him, 

14 I have peace offerings with me ; this day have 
I paid my vows. 

15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently 
to seek thy face, and I have found thee. 

16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapes- 
try, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. 

17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, 
and cinnamon. 

18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the 
morning : let us solace ourselves with loves. 

19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a 
long journey : 

20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and 
will come home at the day appointed. 

21 With her much fair speech she caused him to 
yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced 
him. 

22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth 
to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of 
the stocks ; 

23 Till a dart strike through his liver ; as a bird 
hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for 
his life. 

24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, 
and attend to the words of my mouth. 

25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not 
astray in her paths. 



such as squares before the gates, where the people 
were accustomed to gather. 13. So she caught 
him , better, And she seized him. The word seized 
as well as other statements indicates that the 
seeking was from her. 14a. Render, Sacrifices of 
peace offerings were due from me. The peace 
offering was one of the common sacrifices, in 
which the sacrificial meal was the prominent 
part. These peace offerings, she now says, were 
prepared at the fulfillment of vows, and she in- 
vites the young man to assist in eating. This 
shows the union of religion and immorality, 
which was common in those days. See Hosea 4 : 
10 f ; Ezek. 23 : 39 f. It also shows that she was an 
Israelite, at least in customs. The regulations 
for a peace offering in connection with a vow 
are given in Lev. 7 : 16-18. As the sacrifice 
must be at the temple in Jerusalem, it follows 
that the scene of this incident is in Jerusalem. 
This day. See the regulation in Lev. 7 : 16. 
Vows, apparently more than one were paid at 
the same time. 15. Omit Diligently. Thee. 
The statement that she was seeking this particu- 
lar man is doubtless to be regarded as pretense ; 
she was seeking some man to share the feast. 
16. Carpets of tapestry, render simply, 
coverings. B is manifestly intended to indicate 
that which is rare and costly. 17. The three 
perfumes mentioned in b occur together also in 
Cant. 4 : 14, the first two in Ps. 45 : 8. The 
statements of ver. 16, 17, and 20 indicate the 
possession of wealth. 18b. Render, Let us en- 
joy ourselves with love. 19. The goodman. 
Some would change the text and read my hus- 



13 So she caught him, and kissed him, 

And with an impudent face she said unto him : 

14 Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me ; 
This day have I paid my vows. 

15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, 
Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found 

thee. 

16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, 
With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt. 

17 I have perfumed my bed 

With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 

18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morn- 

ing ; 

Let us solace ourselves with loves. 

19 For the goodman is not at home, 
He is gone a long journey : 

20 He hath taken a bag of money with him ; 
He will come home at the full" moon. 

21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to 

yield, 

With the flattering of her lips she forceth him 
away. 

22 He goeth after her straightway, 
As an ox goeth to the slaughter, 

Or as fetters to the correction of the fool ; 

23 Till an arrow strike through his liver ; 
As a bird hasteth to the snare, 

And knoweth not that it is for his life. 

24 Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me, 
And attend to the words of my mouth. 

25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, 
Go not astray in her paths. 



bandwiihG, 'EPS!, 'tsM, for S^KH, haish. But 
this is unnecessary. It seems better to regard 
the expression as purposely slighting and con- 
temptuous. 20. A bag of money. Purse is 
better than "bag." This is mentioned as an 
indication of a prolonged absence, making it 
probable that he is to be regarded as a mer- 
chant, gone off for purposes of trade. The full 
moon, probably having reference to a feast, 
either Passover or Tabernacles, for which he 
was planning to return. 21. Flattering, bet- 
ter, enticing. 22, 23. It is generally agreed 
that there is some corruption of text in these 
verses, especially in ver. 22c, because they afford 
no good sense. The simplest of the many cor- 
rections offered that gives a suitable meaning is 
to transpose two words in ver. 22c, 'ekh?s, 
and Tlit, ' e wil, and to put ver. 23a at the end of 
ver. 23, the latter change being made because as 
it stands ver. 23a interrupts the thought and 
interferes with the parallelism. With these 
changes, ver. 22, 23 may be translated : He goes 
after her suddenly, like an ox that goes to 
slaughter, or like a fool unto punishment by fet- 
ters, (ver. 23) Like the hastening of a bird to a 
snare ; and he knows not that it is at the. price of 
his life, until an arrow cleaves his liver. Fool 
has the implied idea of wicked, as in the same 
word rendered foolish in Job 5 : 3, TIN, ' e wil, 
and usually. The form in which disaster over- 
takes him is not stated, as it is in 5 : 9-14, but 
it comes suddenly and unexpectedly. The re- 
sult here is death. 25a. Render, Let not thy 
mind turn aside to her ways. Sons in ver. 



42 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. VIII. 



26 For she hath cast down many wounded : yea, 
many strong men have been slain by her. 

27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to 
the chambers of death. 

CHAPTE 

1 DOTH not wisdom cry ? and understanding put 
forth her voice ? 

2 She standeth in the top of high places, by the 
way in the places of the paths. 

3* She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, 
at the coming in at the doors : 

4 Unto you, 0 men, I call ; and my voice is to the 
sons of man. 

5 0 ye simple, understand wisdom : and, ye fools, 
be ye of an understanding heart. 

24 become singular in ver. 25, a process of in- 
dividualizing common in Hebrew. 26b may 
better be rendered, And numerous are all her 
slain. 26, 27 present the familiar thought in 
Proverbs of premature death as the punish- 
ment for sin, here, for this particular form of 
sin. 27a. Render, Her house is wayt to sheol. 
This is the literal rendering, and the meaning 
is, her house offers not one but many ways 
which lead to the same result. Sheol, as usual, 
is the place of the dead in general, the pun- 
ishment consists in the going prematurely. 
The usual Old Testament meaning of chambers 
suggests that here in b they mean the innermost 
parts of the region controlled by death, i. e., of 
sheol ; see the same thought more forcibly ex- 
pressed in 9 : 18. This would be a rhetorical 
strengthening of the idea. It does not imply 
that there could be a return to this life from any 
part of sheol, but it would say that even if there 
were, this part is the most inaccessible, from 
which a return is the least likely. 



8 : 1 to 9 : 18. The general thought of the 
section : Personified wisdom and folly invite 
the simple-minded to follow their teachings and 
receive their gifts. Analysis: (1) Ver. 1-3, 
personified wisdom is introduced as crying out 
to men; (2) ver. 4-11, beginning of her mes- 
sage, exhortation to hear; (3) ver. 12-21, state- 
ment of the blessings she brings ; (4) ver. 22-31, 
the prominent part of wisdom in the creation 
of the world ; (5) ver. 32-36, general statement 
of the results of finding and missing wisdom ; 
(6) 9 : 1-12, invitation to her feast; (7) ver. 
13-18, personified folly also extends an invita- 
tion to her feast. Connection of thought : In 
(2) a general exhortation to hear (ver. 4, 5), is 
followed by a reason for it, which is a statement 
of the habitual characteristics of her teachings 
(ver. 6-9), and another reason, the general value 
of her instruction (ver. 10, 11). In (3), ver. 12- 
14 state various desirable qualities involved in 
the possession of wisdom ; ver. 15, 16, the im- 



26 For she hath cast down many wounded : 
Yea, all her slain are a mighty host. 

27 Her house is the waj to Sheol, 
Going down to the chambers of death. 

R VIII. 

1 DOTH not wisdom cry, 

And understanding put forth her voice? 

2 In the top of high places by the way, 
Where the paths meet, she standeth ; 

3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, 

At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud : 
i Unto you, 0 men, I call ; 

And my voice is to the sons of men. 
5 0 ye simple, understand subtilty ; 

And, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. 

portance of wisdom to rulers; ver. 17-21, wis- 
dom brings wealth and also possessions better 
than wealth. In (4), ver. 22-26 express the 
thought that wisdom was the first created ob- 
ject; ver. 27-30a, the presence and activity of 
wisdom in the creation of the world; ver. 30b- 
31, the delight of wisdom in the wonders of 
creation. In (6), in 9 : 1, 2, wisdom prepares 
her feast ; in ver. 3-6 she invites the simple to 
the feast; ver. 7-10 are a parenthesis, giving 
the reason why the invitation is limited to the 
simple, which is that a hardened sinner will not 
heed instruction, fear of Jehovah is the neces- 
sary starting-point; ver. 11, 12, the importance 
of heeding the invitation of wisdom, because of 
the results to one's own life. In (7), ver. 13-15 
describe the preparations of folly; ver. 16, 17, 
her invitation ; ver. 18, the results to her guests. 

1. On this passage, see 1 : 20 f., which is very 
similar, and notes there. The question plainly 
implies the answer, yes. 2, 3. It is probable 
that here, as in 1 : 20 f., we are to think not 
merely of one place as described, but of various 
places about the city where wisdom is described 
as going at the same general time. Ver. 2 des- 
ignates places best suited for public audience 
in the streets of the city, while ver. 3 speaks of 
the square at the entrance of the city, the com- 
mon meeting-place. High places in ver. 2 
are shown by the added phrase by the way to 
be not simply highways, streets, but rather ele- 
vations by the side of the streets. These might 
be of various kinds in connection with the 
buildings or the walls, either natural or arti- 
ficial. Where the paths meet, at the inter- 
section of the streets. She standeth, render: 
She has taken her stand. 3. Render : Beside 
the gateways, at the portal of the city, at the 
entrance of the gates, she cries aloud. These 
phrases are all descriptive of the same place, 
the square near the gates. 

5. Heart, better, mind. It is exceptional 
that here fools are exhorted to receive wisdom ; 
usually it is assumed that there is no hope of 



Ch. VIII.] 



PROVERBS 



43 



6 Hear ; for 1 will speak of excellent things ; and 
the opening of my lips shall be right things. 

7 For my mouth shall speak truth ; and wicked- 
ness is an abomination to my lips. 

8 All the words of my mouth are in righteous- 
ness ; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. 

9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, 
and right to them that find knowledge. 

10 Receive my instruction, and not silver ; and 
knowledge rather than choice gold. 

11 For wisdom is better than rubies ; and all the 
things that may be desired are not to be compared 
to it. 

12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out 
knowledge of witty inventions. 

13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil : pride, and 
arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward 
mouth, do I hate. 

14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom : I am un- 
derstanding ; I have strength. 

15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. 

16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the 
judges of the earth. 



this. The nature of the case and the parallel- 
ism both show that they are thought of here 
as not fully fixed in folly. 6-9. The usual 
translation makes ver. 6, 7a a statement con- 
cerning the nature of that which wisdom is 
about to speak on this occasion. But ver. 7b-9 
plainly describe general characteristics of wis- 
dom. It therefore seems better to regard ver. 
6, 7a also as doing the same, the tenses being 
frequentatives. So render : I speak . . . is right 
things . . . utters truth. What is always true 
of her will of course be true of her on this occa- 
sion. Ver. 6-9 then give the reason for hear 
at the beginning of ver. 6. 8. Are in right- 
eousness means are in accordance with jus- 
tice, i. e., are just. Crooked or perverse 
are used in an ethical sense, describing that 
which is a perversion of the right, a departure 
from it. (see 2: is.) 9. Plain. Some think that 
the meaning here is true, but it is more in ac- 
cordance with the usual meaning of the word 
to regard it as clear. B. Find, better, have 
attained. Right must be used subjectively, 
they are recognized as right by those who have 
already attained knowledge. This teaches that 
those who are wise will recognize the truth of 
wisdom's words by the insight that is theirs. 
This makes the parallelism in ver. 9 not entirely 
exact, but sufficiently so ; the thought of a is 
that they are easily understood, of b that they 
are recognized as true, by the wise men. 10, 
11. See notes on 3 : 14, 15, where the thought 
and phraseology are similar, and see also 20 : 15. 
The parallelism and the general thought both 
show that in 10a we have the idiom of exag- 
gerated contrast, it being a forcible way of ex- 
pressing comparison. The meaning is : Receive 
my instruction rather than silver, but it is a more 
forcible expression, Ver, 11 is nearly identical 



6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things ; 

And the opening of my lips shall be right things. 

7 For my mouth shall utter truth ; 

And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 

8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness ; 
There is nothing crooked or perverse in them. 

9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, 
And right to them that find knowledge. 

10 Receive my instruction, and not silver ; 
And knowledge rather than choice gold. 

11 For wisdom is better than rubies ; 

And all the things that may be desired are not 
to be compared unto her. 

12 I wisdom have made subtilty my dwelling, 
And find out knowledge and discretion. 

13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil : 
Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, 
And the froward mouth, do I hate. 

14 Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge : 
I am understanding ; I have might. 

15 By me kings reign, 

And princes decree justice. 

16 By me princes rule, 

And nobles, even all the judges of the earth. 



with 3 : 15 ; b should be rendered almost like 
3 : 15b : And all costly things are not equal in 
return for her. 

12a. Many think the language too violent, 
and seek to correct the text. But the language, 
although striking, is not unnatural. Prudence, 
A. K. V., is better than suhtilty, R. V., bet- 
ter yet is shrewdness. The meaning is that 
shrewdness is the means of the practical ex- 
pression of wisdom, as the body is the means 
of expression for the soul that inhabits it. B, 
find out means come into possession of. 13. 
Some think that this verse has been trans- 
ferred from some other passage, or is a later 
addition, but without sufficient reason. It does, 
to be sure, somewhat interrupt the connection, 
but that is quite common in Proverbs. In itself 
it gives a good meaning. It assumes the close 
connection between wisdom and the fear of Jeho- 
vah, which has appeared in 1 : 29 and 2 : 5, and 
especially in 2 : 5-8 in connection with ver. 9-11. 
A familiar truth is stated in the first clause, and 
the statement there made concerning the fear of 
Jehovah wisdom then proceeds to assert of her- 
self. The meaning of evil in the first clause is 
explained by the specifications following in the 
second clause, pride, arrogancy, etc. 14. I 
am understanding. Understanding and wis- 
dom are synonymous, to be sure, but in this per- 
sonification of wisdom the synonymous quali- 
ties are spoken of in ver. 12 and 14 as belonging 
to wisdom. Hence it is better to render, as the 
Hebrew allows: To me (belong) counsel and 
sound knowledge ; to me (belong) understand- 
ing (and) might. The statements in Isa. 11 : 2 
are similar; while Job 12 : 13, 16 speaks in a 
similar way of God. 15. Decree justice 
means decide justly. On ver. 15-18 see Isa. 
11:2. 16. Judges, CtpJptSf, shophHim. This 



44 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. VIII. 



17 I love them that love me ; and those that seek 
me early shall find me. 

18 Riches and honour are with me ; yea, durable 
riches and righteousness. 

19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine 
gold ; and my revenue than choice silver. 

20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the 
midst of the paths of judgment: 

21 That I may cause those that love me to in- 
herit substance ; and I will fill their treasures. 

22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his 
way, before his works of old. 

23 I was set up from everlasting, from the begin- 
ning, or ever the earth was. 

24 When there were no depths, I was brought 
forth ; when there were no fountains abounding 
with water. 

25 Before the mountains were settled, before the 
hills was I brought forth : 

26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor 
the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the 
world . 

27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there : 
when he set a compass upon the face of the depth : 

28 When he established the clouds above : when 
he strengthened the fountains of the deep : 

29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the 
waters should not pass his commandment : when 
he appointed the foundations of the earth : 

30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with 
him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always 
before him ; 

31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth ; 
and my delights were with the sons of men. 

32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children : 
for blessed are they that keep my ways. 

33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it 
not. 



means rulers, those who in a broad way admin- 
ister justice, as in Amos 2:3; Micah 5:1; Ps. 
2 : 10. This clause sums up the preceding, mean- 
ing, in short, all the rulers of the earth. It is to 
be noted that the opinion expressed of rulers in 
ver. 15, 16 is wholly favorable. 17b, render : 
And those that seek me find me, a general truth, 
in harmony with a. 18a is similar to 3 : 16b 
and 22 : 4. Righteousness. It is implied 
that this is accompanied by its natural result, 
viz, prosperity, as stated more fully in ver. 20, 
21. For this idea see especially Ps. 24 : 5. 19. 
Quite similar to 3 : 14, 15 and 8 : 11, although the 
thought here is slightly different. In those pas- 
sages the comparison is with wisdom herself, 
here with what wisdom brings. 21. Inherit, 
render, possess. 

Some suppose that in ver. 22-31 there is the 
teaching that wisdom is actually a person. But 
this is highly improbable and unnecessary ; 
personification meets all the requirements of 
the description. The personification of wisdom 
here is similar to that found in all the rest of 
the chapter, in 9 : 1-12, and in 1 : 20-33. In this 
passage personified wisdom is described as the 
first created object, and as being present and 
assisting at the creation of the world, and also 



17 I love them that love me ; 

And those that seek me diligently shall find me. 

18 Riches and honour are with me ; 
Yea, durable riches and righteousness. 

19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold ; 
And my revenue than choice silver. 

20 I walk in the way of righteousness, 

In the midst of the paths of judgement: 

21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit 

substance, 
And that I may fill their treasuries. 

22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his 

way, 

Before his works of old. 

23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, 
Or ever the earth was. 

24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth ; 
When there were no fountains abounding with 

water. 

25 Before the mountains were settled, 
Before the hills was I brought forth : 

26 While as yet he had not made the earth, uor the 

fields, 

Nor the beginning of the dust of the world. 

27 When he established the heavens, I was there : 
When he set a circle upon the face of the deep : 

28 When he made firm the skies above : 

When the fountains of the deep became strong : 

29 When he gave to the sea its bound, 

That the waters should not transgress his com- 
mandment : 

When he marked out the foundations of the 
earth : 

30 Then I was by him, as a master workman : 
And I was daily his delight, 

Rejoicing always before him ; 

31 Rejoicing in his habitable earth ; 

And my delight was with the sons of men. 

32 Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me : 
For blessed are they that keep my ways. 

33 Hear instruction, and be wise, 
And refuse it not. 



as rejoicing in the creation. This teaches sim- 
ply that the creation was an impressive display 
of Jehovah's wisdom, w hich is the same thought 
as in 3 : 19 f. 22. Render : Jehovah formed me 
as the beginning of his ivay, the first of his 
works of old. Way means creative activity. 
(See job 26 : 14.) 23. Pender : J was established in 
ancient time, in the beginning, at the first limes 
of the earth. Ver. 23-26 declare that wisdom is 
the first created object, created in times indef- 
initely remote. 25. Settled, better, sunk. 
26. Dust, more literally, clods. 27. Circle 
refers to the horizon. 28. Skies, literally, 
clouds. B refers probably to the fountains on 
the earth. 29. See Job 38 : 8-11 ; Jer. 5 : 22 ; 
Ps. 104 : 9. Marked out, better, laid. A 
refers to the boundary between sea and land. 
30, 31. Master workman. This meaning 
is not certain here, but is probable. His de- 
light, render: Full of delight. Rejoicing 
(twice) is not the literal meaning, it is too 
serious a word. Making merry, as the phrase is 
used in the Bible, is perhaps the best rendering ; 
the Hebrew word, pnty, sVieq, is so translated 
in Jer. 15 : 17. The same verb is used in Prov. 
10 : 23. It is a word expressing exuberant, light- 
hearted joy. The thought which many have 



Ch. IX.] 



PROVEKBS 



45 



34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching 
daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 

35 For whoso findeth me fiudeth life, and shall 
obtain favour of the Lord. 

36 But he that sinneth against me wrongetb his 
own soul : all they that hate me love death. 



CHAT' 

1 WISDOM hath builded her house, she hath 
hewn out her seven pillars : 

2 She hath killed her beasts ; she hath mingled 
her wine ; she hath also furnished her table. 

3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth 
upon the highest places of the city, 

4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither : as for 
him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 

5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine 
which I have mingled. 

6 Forsake the foolish, and live ; and go in the 
way of understanding. 

7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself 
shame : and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth 
himself a blot. 

8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee : re- 
buke a wise man, and he will love thee. 

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be 
yet wiser : teach a just man, and he will increase in 
learning. 



34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, 
Watching daily at my gates, 
Waiting at the posts of my doors. 

35 For whoso fmdeth me findeth life. 
And shall obtain favour of the Lord. 

36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his 

own soul : 
All they that hate me love death. 

EE IX. 

, 1 WISDOM hath builded her house, 

She hath hewn out her seven pillars : 

2 She hath killed her beasts ; she hath mingled 

her wine ; 
She hath also furnished her table. 

3 She hath sent forth her maidens, she crieth 
Upon the highest places of the city, 

4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: 

As for him that is void of understanding, she 
saith to him, 

5 Come, eat ye of my bread, 

And drink of the wine which I have mingled. 

6 Leave off, ye simple ones, and live ; 
And walk in the way of understanding. 

7 He that correcteth a scorner getteth to himself 

shame : 

And he that reproveth a wicked man getteth him- 
self a blot. 

8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee : 
Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee. 

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be 

yet wiser : 

Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in 
learning. 



found here, that creation was so easy for wisdom 
that it was like play, is quite foreign to the usual 
meaning of the word. 34. In b and c the refer- 
ence is to those waiting at the palace of a king or 
great man to see him, as in 14 : 19. 35. Find- 
eth life, and shall obtain favor. Bender: 
Has found life, and has obtained favor. The 
meaning is not so much that the possession of 
wisdom gives the assurance that one will obtain 
life and the favor of Jehovah, as it is that they 
are necessarily involved in the very possession 
of wisdom itself. The thought is substantially 
the same as that of the R. V., but stronger. 36a. 
Render: But he that misses me wrongs himself. 
"Misses" is in contrast with "findeth" in ver. 35. 
This is the original meaning of the word,Kttn, 
hdta, from which the much more common mean- 
ing to sin is derived. Here this meaning is in- 
dicated not only by the connection with ver. 35, 
but also by the meaning ; one can hardly be said 
to sin against wisdom. The form of expression 
in the Hebrew would also be unusual if that 
were the meaning. 



Chap. 9. 1. Her seven pillars. The 

pillars referred to were probably those used in 
supporting an upper gallery in a house around 
a central court. There is no reason to think 
that seven is used as having any sacred or mys- 
tical significance ; it is more likely that it was 
simply a common number for such pillars. 2. 



Meat was a luxury, not a common article of diet 
with the masses of the people. It is thus empha- 
sized as a prominent element in a feast. Fur- 
nished, better, made ready. 3. This verse 
seems to present an inconsistency in the sending 
forth of the maidens, i. e., servants with the in- 
vitation, and also in speaking of wisdom herself 
as crying. Inasmuch as what is said of wisdom 
is not that she goes forth, but only that she cries, 
it is probable, in harmony with the usual custom 
concerning feasts, that she is not to be thought 
of as going out herself, but the crying is through 
the agency of the maidens of a. 4. Void of un- 
derstanding. The Hebrew phrase, nS'lpn, 
h a s&r lebh, elsewhere has regularly an unfav- 
orable meaning ; here the parallelism and con- 
nection of thought show that it has not. 5. 
B read, better, food. Mingled. The mingling 
according to the common custom was with 
spices in preparation for drinking. 6. This 
verse in its literal language shows plainly the 
meaning of the figurative language preceding, 
especially ver. 5. Leave off. The object 
naturally implied is simplicity. 7. Shame. 
This is the common meaning of the word, but 
here the connection demands something more 
specific, so that the rendering of the A. R. V., 
reviling, is better. Getteth himself a blot. 
Render, it is a blot to him. 9. The parallel- 
ism of wise man and righteous man is 
very instructive, indicating that in the usage of 



46 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. X. 



10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wis- 
dom ; and the knowledge of the Holy is under- 
standing. 

11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and 
the years of thy life shall be increased. 

12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself : 
but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. 

IS A foolish woman is clamorous ; she is simple, 
and knoweth nothing. 

14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a 
seat in the high places of the city, 

15 To call passengers who go right on their ways : 

16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and 
as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to 
him, 

17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in 
secret is pleasant. 

18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; 
and that her guests are in the depths of hell. 



CHAP 

1 THE Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh 
a glad father : but a foolish son is the heaviness of 
his mother. 

2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing : but 
righteousness delivereth from death. 



10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wis- 
dom : 

And the knowledge of the Holy One is under- 
standing. 

11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, 
And the years of "thy life shall be increased. 

12 If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself : 
And if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. 

13 The foolish woman is clamorous ; 
She is simple, and knoweth nothing. 

14 And she sitteth at the door of her house, 
On a seat in the high places of the city, 

15 To call to them that pass by, 
Who go right on their ways, 

16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither : 

And as for him that is void of understanding, 
she saith to him, 

17 Stolen waters are sweet, 

And bread eaten in secret is pleasant. 

18 -But he knoweth not that the dead are there ; 
That her guests are in the depths of Sheol. 

TEE X. 

1 THE proverbs of Solomon. 

A wise son mitketh a glad father : 

But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. 

2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing : 
But righteousness delivereth from death. 



the writer the thought of the two was very 
similar, i. e., that a wise man was a religious 
man, which is indicated by other passages as 
well. 10. The verse is very similar to 1 : 7a. 
The mention of " wise man " in ver. 9 naturally 
suggests a statement of the fundamental neces- 
sity in wisdom. Holy One. The phrase is 
used of God also in 30 : 3. In general ver. 7-10 
teach that admonition and instruction are of 
profit to those inclined to be wise, not to those 
hardened in sin. See further on the thought the 
note at the beginning of chap. 8. Ver. 11, 12 
are connected closely with ver. 6. 11. See note 
on 3 : 2. 12b. It should be omitted. The im- 
plied object is the punishment naturally asso- 
ciated with evil-doing. 

13-18. In these verses folly is personified 
as a woman, and, in fact, a harlot. The rep- 
resentation here is founded upon chap. 5 and 
7, but with a difference. In those chapters 
there is no personification, but the harlot is 
chosen as one common example of folly. Here 
folly is personified as a harlot, a representa- 
tion which corresponds to and is in contrast 
with the personification of wisdom in ver. 1-6 
and 11, 12. It is probable that the personi- 
fication of folly was suggested by the personifi- 
cation of wisdom. 13. Clamorous, better, 
boisterous, as in 7 : 11. The foolish woman, 
render folly, on account of the connection of 
thought, especially the relation to ver. 1. 14b. 
There is no reason for regarding this as de- 
scribing a different place from a, it may be 
taken, therefore, simply as an indication that 
her house is to be regarded as in a high part of 



the city. 15 b indicates that there is no in- 
tention of turning aside unto her. 16. Sub- 
stantially identical with ver. 4. 17a is evi- 
dently an allusion to 5 : 15 ; this is put in oppo- 
sition to the teaching there given. 18. The 
verse is similar to 7 : 27 but more forcible. See 
note there, (see also 2 : is ; 5:5.) The certainty that 
death will come prematurely upon her guests is 
such that, to express the thought in the strongest 
possible way, they are spoken of as already dead. 



Chap. 10. In chap. 10 to 29 there is no con- 
nected progress of thought, so that no analysis 
can be given. In these chapters each verse or 
small group of verses is independent of those 
about it. In 22 : 17 to 29 there are sometimes 
groups which include several verses. In 10 : 1 to 
22 : 16, however, there are no such groups ; each 
verse is separate and independent, and each con- 
sists of only two lines or members, the only ap- 
parent exception being 19 : 7, on which passage 
see note. In this section, in many cases, several 
verses express similar thoughts, but there is no 
logical order of arrangement. On this main 
division of the book, see further in the Introduc- 
tion. According to Ewald there are the follow- 
ing divisions of thought : chap. 10 : 1 to 12 : 28; 
13 : 1 to 15 : 19 ; 15 : 20 to 17 : 24 ; 17 : 25 to 19 : 
19 ; 19 : 20 to 22 : 16, but there are only super- 
ficial indications of such a division. 

la is identical with 15 : 20a ; b is similar to 
15 : 20b ; 29 : 3a is similar to a. Maketh a 
glad father, it is more literal to render, makes 
glad (his) father. Heaviness, better, grief. 
2b is identical with 11 : 4b ; a is similar to 



Ch. X.] 



PROVERBS 



47 



3 The Lord will not suffer the soul of the right- 
eous to famish : but he casteth away the substance 
of the wicked. 

4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack 
hand : but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. 

5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son : but 
he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth 
shame. 

6 Blessings are upon the head of the just: but 
violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. 

7 The memory of the just is blessed : but the 
name of the wicked shall rot. 

8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: 
but a prating fool shall fall. 

9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely : 
but he that perverteth his ways shall be known. 

10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow : 
but a prating fool shall fall. 

11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life : 
but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. 

12 Hatred stirreth up strifes : but love covereth 
all sins. 

13 In the lips of him that hath understanding 
wisdom is found : but a rod is for the back of him 
that is void of understanding. 

14 Wise men lay up knowledge : but the mouth 
of the foolish is near destruction. 

15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city : the 
destruction of the poor is their poverty. 



11 : 4a. (see also ii : i9 ; 12 : 28.) Treasures of 
wickedness, wealth gained by wickedness. 
Profit nothing, to the man himself. B, as 
elsewhere, premature death is a punishment for 
sin ; delivereth from death means, delivers 
from this premature death. 3. Similar to 13 : 
25. Soul is here the seat of desire, as indicated 
by frequent usage elsewhere and by the parallel- 
ism. B. Thrusteth away, i.e., disappoints. 
Desire, render literally, evil desire. 4. Some- 
what similar to 12 : 24. Render : A slack hand- 
makes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes 
riches. This involves no change in the con- 
sonantal text, but a change of one vowel, read- 
ing ri'sh, for Wl, rd'sh, and is favored 
by the fact that it follows G., S., and T. The 
idea may be freely expressed, the slothful make 
poverty, the diligent make wealth. Hand 
in both clauses is by metonymy for person. 5. 
See 6 : 8. Eender with R. V. Marg., a son 
that does xvisely, and a son that does shamefully. 
6. Blessings. It is not necessary to restrict 
this to blessings which come directly from God, 
as the form of statement is general. It is better 
to regard the term as including blessings both 
from man and God. Upon, better, for. B. 
Render as R. V. Marg., But the mouth of the 
wicked covereth violence. It is identical with ver. 
lib. The translation given affords a better 
meaning than that of the R. V., and is also 
favored by the parallelism in ver. 11. By this 
it is meant that there is violence in the heart of 
the wicked, but he strives to conceal it in bis 



3 The Lord will not suffer the soul of the right- 

eous to famish : 
But he thrusteth away the desire of the wicked. 

4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack 

hand : 

But the hand of the diligent maketh rich. 

5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son : 
But he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that 

causeth shame. 

6 Blessings are upon the head oi the righteous : 
But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. 

7 The memory of the just is blessed : 
But the name of the wicked shall rot. 

8 The wise in heart will receive commandments : 
But a prating fool shall fall. 

9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely : 
But he that perverteth his ways shall be known. 

10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow : 
But a prating fool shall fall. 

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of 

life: 

But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. 

12 Hatred stirreth up strifes : 

But love covereth all transgressions. 

13 In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom 

is found : 

But a rod is for the back of him that is void of 
understanding. 

14 Wise men lay up knowledge : 

But the mouth of the foolish is a present de- 
struction. 

15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city : 
The destruction of the poor is their poverty : 



language. 7a. The meaning is, men invoke 
blessings on the righteous. B. Shall rot, i. e., 
shall perish, be forgotten. 8a. (See 2 : 1 : 7:2.) 
Will receive commandments, will be open 
to instruction. B is identical with ver. 10b. 
9a. (see 2:ib.) Surely, better, securely. B. 
Shall be known, i. e., shall be unable to con- 
ceal his evil deeds, and of course the punish- 
ment will follow. 10a is similar to 6 : 13b ; b, 
identical with 8b. 11a is similar to 13 : 14. (see 
also is : 4.) B is identical with 6b ; see rendering 
there. Here the parallelism is antithetic, the 
mouth of the wicked is only a cloak for that 
which injures men. 12b is similar to 17 : 9a. 
Transgressions, not one's own but those of 
others, love forgives and forgets. 13b is similar 
to 26 : 3b ; 19 : 29b. The antithesis of the two 
clauses is implied, not directly stated. The im- 
plied conclusion of a is : therefore no punish- 
ment is needed ; while the implied reason for b 
is: because he talks and acts foolishly. 14b 
is similar to 13 : 3b ; 18 : 7. A. Lay up means 
store up, keep as treasure for one's own profit, 
and do not waste it by excessive talkativeness. 
In b by contrast the meaning is that the incon- 
siderate talking of fools makes them always a 
source of danger. A present, render, immi- 
nent. 15a is identical with 18 : 11a, the thought 
there being given a different application. B, 
render, Their poverty is the destruction of the 
poor; which means, a little more freely ex- 
pressed, the poverty of the poor is their destruc- 
tion. The verse points out a noteworthy fact as 



48 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. X. 



16 The labour of the righteous tendeth to life : 
the fruit of the wicked to sin. 

17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruc- 
tion : but he that refuseth reproof erreth. 

18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he 
that uttereth a slander, is a fool. 

19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not 
sin : but he that refraineth his lips is wise. 

20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the 
heart of the wicked is little worth. 

21 The lips of the righteous feed many : but fools 
die for want of wisdom. 

22 The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and 
he addeth no sorrow with it. 

23 It is as sport to a fool to do mischief : but a 
man of understanding hath wisdom. 

24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon 
him: but the desire of the righteous shall be 
granted. 

25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no 
more : but the righteous is an everlasting founda- 
tion. 

26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the 
eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him. 

27 The fear of the Lord prolongeth days : but 
the years of the wicked shall be shortened. 

28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness : 
but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. 

29 The way of the Lord is strength to the up- 
right : but destruction shall be to the workers of in- 
iquity. 



matters go in this life, viz, the value of money. 
16a is similar to 11 : 19a. Labour, render, ac- 
quisition. B. Sin, render, punishment. Itisthc 
word commonly meaning sin, HNtSn, hattath, 
but here it means punishment as the result of sin, 
a meaning favored by the parallelism, and found 
also in Zech. 14 : 19 ; Num. 32 : 23. 17. The 
natural and probably correct rendering is : He 
who heeds instruction is a way to life ; but he who 
neglects reproof leads astray. The thought in 
both clauses is the effect of one's life upon others. 
The thought in a is similar to that of ver. 11a. 
18a. The natural rendering is : Lying lips con- 
ceal hatred. The thought is similar to that of 
ver. 6b and lib. 19. The thought is similar to 
that of 13 : 3 ; 15 : 28 ; 17 : 27a. Refraineth, 
better, restrains. 20. Heart, better, mind. 
This verse goes on the supposition that the 
tongue expresses what the mind thinks. 21. 
Feed, better, guide. The Hebrew word means 
to tend, as a shepherd his flock, which includes 
both feeding and guidance. In this connection 
it is the latter thought that is suggested. Note 
the contrast: Righteous — foolish. 22. An- 
other rendering proposed for b is : And toil 
with it (the blessing) adds nothing, similar to 
R. V. Marg. Either is possible from the He- 
brew, but that of R. V. is to be preferred. 
The difficulty with the other rendering is not 
that it is contradictory to the thought of Prov- 
erbs, but rather that it is not in accordance with 
the usual emphasis ; in the case of a good man, 
here considered, the thought usually emphasized 
is not that of opposition between human and 



16 The labour of the righteous tendeth to life ; 
The increase of the wicked to sin. 

17 He is in the way of life that heedeth correction : 
But he that forsaketh reproof erreth. 

18 He that hideth hatred is of lying lips ; 
And he that uttereth a slander is a fool. 

19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not 

transgression : 
But he that refraineth his lips doeth wisely. 

20 The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver : 
The heart of the wicked is little worth. 

21 The lips of the righteous feed many : 

But the foolish die for lack of understanding. 

22 The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, 
And he addeth no sorrow therewith. 

23 It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness : 
And so is wisdom to a man of understanding. 

24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon 

him : 

And the desire of the righteous shall be granted. 

25 When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no 

more : 

But the righteous is an everlasting foundation. 

26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, 
So is the sluggard to them that send him. 

27 The fear of the Lord prolongeth days : 

But the years of the wicked shall be shortened. 

28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness : 
But the expectation of the wicked shall perish. 

29 The way of the Lord is a strong hold to the up- 

right ; 

But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity. 



divine activity, but rather their unity, the 
human being subordinate to the divine. 23. 
Sport, a noun from the word rendered rejoic- 
ing in 8 : 30; for meaning see note there. A 
indicates by as sport the joy of a fool in 
wickedness. The thought of the ease with 
which a fool does wickedness, which many ha ve 
found here, is not naturally suggested by the 
Hebrew word rendered sport. B means, as the 
rendering of the R. V. indicates, that in the 
same way the man of understanding has joy in 
wisdom. 24. The fenr of the wicked is the 
thing which the wicked fears. 25b. In accord- 
ance with the parallelism, which is antithetic, 
this is to be regarded as meaning a foundation 
not for others but for himself ; he is firmly estab- 
lished forever. The thought is thus similar to 
that of ver. 30a ; 12 : 7, although the phraseology 
is different. 26. The prominent effects of vine- 
gar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes would 
naturally be irritation. This, then, is to be re- 
garded as the point of comparison, the sluggard 
produces irritation in one who uses him as a 
messenger. To them that send him, it is 
more in accordance with Hebrew idiom to render, 

tO him who Sends Mm. 27. (See note on 3:2.) 

28a. The parallelism indicates that the thought 
is not that the hope of the righteous is a hope 
for pleasant things, but it is a hope that brings 
gladness because it is fulfilled. 29b is identical 
with 21 : 15b, in a somewhat different connec- 
tion. The way of the Lord (Jehovah ) in a is 
his course of action, his government of the world, 
as in Ps. 18 : 30 ; Ezek. 18 : 25. In both a and b 



Ch. XI.] 



PROVERBS 



49 



30 The righteous shall never be removed : but 
the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. 

31 The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom : 
but the froward tongue shall be cut out. 

32 The lips of the righteous know what is accept- 
able : but the mouth of the wicked speaketh fro- 
wardness. 



30 The righteous shall never be removed : 
But the wicked shall not dwell in the land. 

31 The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wis- 

dom : 

But the froward tongue shall be cut off. 

32 The lips of the righteous know what is accept- 

able : 

But the mouth of the wicked speaketh froward- 
ness. 



CHAPTER XI 



1 A FALSE balance is abomination to the Lord : 
but a just weight is his delight. 

2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame : but 
with the lowly is wisdom. 

3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them : 
but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy 
them. 

4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath : but 
righteousness delivereth from death. 

5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his 
way : but the wicked shall fall by his own wicked- 
ness. 

6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver 
them : but transgressors shall be taken in their own 
naughtiness. 

7 When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall 
perish : and the hope of unjust men perisheth. 

8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and 
the wicked cometh in his stead. 



1 A FALSE balance is an abomination to the 

Lord : 

But a just weight is his delight. 

2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame : 
But with the lowly is wisdom. 

3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them : 
But the perverseness of the treacherous shall 

destroy them. 

4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath : 
But righteousness delivereth from death. 

5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his 

way : 

But the wicked shall fall by his own wicked- 
ness. 

6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver 

them : 

But they that deal treacherously shall be taken 
in their own mischief. 

7 When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall 

perish : 

" And the hope of iniquity perisheth. 

8 TheMghteous is delivered out of trouble, 
And' the wicked cometh in his stead. 



the meaning is clear, although the connection 
between subject and predicate is not altogether 
precise, as is quite common in Proverbs. It is, 
in fact, a mixture of figures to speak of "the 
way " as a stronghold. 30a. The thought is 
similar to that of ver. 25b, see note there ; and to 
12 : 3b. 31. Bringeth forth, better literally, 
buds with. Froward (perverse). The render- 
ing of the A. R. V. is the better. 32. Speak- 
eth frowardness (speaketh perverseness). The 
rendering of the A. R. V. is the better. It would 
be more literal to render, is perverseness, giving 
substantially the same meaning. 



Chap. 11. 1. Similar to 16 : 11 ; 20 : 10, 23 ; 
Lev. 19 : 36 ; Deut. 25 : 13-16. Just, literally, 
full, perhaps better, correct. 2. Similar to 18 : 
12 ; a is similar to 16 : 18. 4 b is identical with 
10:2b; a is similar to 10:2a. The day, 
better, a day. In the nature of the case the 
wrath is God's, but there is no indication that 
any one particular occasion is meant ; it is any 
time when God punishes. For similar prophetic 
teaching, see Ezek. 7 : 19 ; Zeph. 1 : 18. (see also 
job 21 : so.) 5a is similar to 3 : 6. Here is said 
of right action what is there said of God's action 
as the result of knowledge of him. These state- 
ments are not contradictory, but supplementary. 
Shall direct, render, shall make smooth, (sec 
note on 3:6.) Here a speaks of success; b, of 
failure. 6b. Render, But the treacherous shall 
be captured through their own evil desire. 7. 



Shall perish, render, perishes. Iniquity, 
render, profligates. It is difficult to get a suit- 
able meaning for this verse without supposing a 
reference to the future life. To interpret it of 
the expectation of a prosperous posterity seems 
unnatural in the absence of any indication of 
that meaning. It is undoubtedly true that in 
general the book of Proverbs gives no teaching 
concerning a future life except of the shadowy 
existence in sheol. But there are a few passages 
which cannot naturally be explained without 
bringing in the idea of a future life. It seems 
necessary, therefore, to say that these passages 
do teach a future life, although not with any full- 
ness or explicit teaching, but rather as a hope 
and expectation. This is particularly true of 
the present passage and 14 : 32, the thought of 
which is similar. 8a is similar to 12 : 13b. In 
his stead, better, in his place. Does this verse 
mean that the wicked really suffers for the right- 
eous the punishment that properly belongs to 
the righteous ? This can hardly be the thought, 
for, according to the uniform teaching of Prov- 
erbs, there is no punishment properly belonging 
to the righteous. Trouble for the righteous is 
not punishment and therefore is necessarily fleet- 
ing. The wicked, however, is properly deserv- 
ing of affliction as a punishment. Nowhere in 
Proverbs does trouble for the righteous or pros- 
perity for the wicked last through life. Hence 
when trouble comes to the righteous, this pas- 
sage teaches, it does not last, but the wicked 



50 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XI. 



9 A hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his 
neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just 
be delivered. 

10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the 
city rejoiceth : and when the wicked perish, there is 
shouting. 

11 By the blessing of the upright the city is ex- 
alted : but it is overthrown by the mouth of the 
wicked. 

12 He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neigh- 
bour: but a man of understanding holdeth his 
peace. 

13 A talebearer revealeth secrets : but he that is 
of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. 

14 Where no counsel is, the people fall : but in 
the multitude of counsellors there is safety. 

15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for 
it : and he that hateth suretiship is sure. 

16 A gracious woman retaineth honour : and 
strong men retain riches, 

17 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul : 
but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh. 



ultimately endures it in his place, because it 
properly belongs to him. See 21 : 18, where a 
similar thought is presented in an even stronger 
form. 9. The verse can be rendered either, 
With his mouth the godless man would (seeks to) 
destroy his neighbor; but through (their) know- 
ledge the righteous are delivered; or, With his 
mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor ; but 
through the knowledge of the righteous men are 
delivered. The former rendering means: The 
godless man seeks to destroy his neighbor, who 
is the righteous, but unsuccessfully, for the 
righteous delivers himself by his own knowl- 
edge. The latter means : The godless in general 
does destroy his neighbors, who are not thought 
of as distinctively righteous or wicked ; the 
righteous, on the other hand, delivers his fellow- 
men. The latter is to be preferred, chiefly be- 
cause in this way the parallelism is made more 
precise, both clauses then having reference to 
the effects on others, not on themselves, of the 
activity of these two classes respectively. The 
thought thus becomes very similar to that of 
12 : 6. 10, 11. The city in both verses should 
be a city. 10. Shooting is for joy. 11. 
Blessing of the upright. " Of " indicates 
source, the blessing that comes from the words 
and deeds of the upright. 12. Despiseth. 
The parallelism suggests plainly that this is 
expressed in speech, so that the meaning here is, 
speaks contemptuously of. The parallelism also 
suggests that the translation should be trans- 
posed so as to read, a man lacking in under- 
standing despises his neighbor. 13a is nearly 
the same as 20 : 19a. Render, He who reveals 
(his own) secret purpose is a talebearer; but he 
who conceals a matter is trustworthy in spirit. 
This rendering is that of V. and is favored by 



9 With his mouth the godless man destroyeth his 
neighbour : 

But through knowledge shall the righteous be 
delivered. 

10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city 

rejoiceth : 

And when the wicked perish, there is shouting. 

11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted : 
But it is overthrown by the mouth of" the wicked. 

12 He that despiseth his neighbour is void of wis- 

dom : 

But a man of understanding holdeth his peace. 

13 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth 

secrets : 

But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the 
matter. 

14 Where no wise guidance is, the people falleth : 
But in the multitude of counsellors there is 

safety. 

15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it : 
But he that hateth suretiship is sure. 

16 A gracious woman retaineth honour : 
And violent men retain riches. 

17 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul : 
But he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh. 



the parallelism. The thought is the importance 
of keeping one's own counsel. He who does not 
keep his own counsel is nothing less than a 
gossip, and it is only the man who keeps his 
own matters to himself who is really trust- 
worthy. The common rendering comes from a 
wrong idea of the word usually rendered secrets 
in this passage and elsewhere. It does not in 
any case really mean secret as such, but rather 
secret counsel or purpose of one or more, as is 
shown by the passages where it is usually trans- 
lated secret (Amos. 3 : 7 ; Ps. 25 : u). The only 
other passages where it has this meaning are 
two in Proverbs, 20 : 19 and 25 : 9. 20 : 19 is to 
be rendered: He who reveals (his own) secret 
purpose is a talebearer ; therefore have nothing 
to do with one easily enticed as to his lips, i. e., 
one whose lips are easily enticed to reveal his 
secret purpose. "Easily enticed as to his lips " 
is a more probable rendering than that of the 
R. V., although that would give substantially the 
same meaning. 25 : 9 is to be rendered : Conduct 
thy case with thy neighbor (alone, directly), and 
(thy) secret purpose do not reveal to another, let 
no one else know anything about it. " He that 
heareth" of 25 : 10 is the same person as "an- 
other" of ver. 9, the one to whom he tells the 
matter. 14b is identical with 24 : 6b. The 
thought is the same as in 15 : 22; 20 : 18. 15. 
See especially 6 : 1-5 and note there. A, ren- 
der, If one is surety for another he shall surely 
suffer. Sure, better, secure. This rendering 
makes a as well as b a general statement con- 
demning all suretyship. This is favored by the 
parallelism and also by the thought elsewhere. 
16. Retaineth . . . retain. Obtaineth . . . 
obtain, the rendering of the A. R. V., is bet- 
ter. The verse means, violence may win the 



Ch. XL] 



PROVERBS 



51 



18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work : but to 
him that soweth righteousness tsliall be a sure re- 
ward. 

19 As righteousness tendeth to life ; so he that pur- 
sueth evil pursueth it to his own death. 

20 They that are of a froward heart are abomina- 
tion to the Lord : but such as are upright in their 
way are his delight. 

21 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall 
not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous 
shall be delivered. 

22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a 
fair woman which is without discretion. 

23 The desire of the righteous is only good : but 
the expectation of the wicked is wrath. 

24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth ; 
and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, 
but it tendeth to poverty. 

25 The liberal soul shall be made fat : and he that 
watereth shall be watered also himself. 

26 He that withholdeth corn, the people shall 
curse him : but blessing shall be upon the head of 
him that selleth it. 

27 He that diligently seeketh good procureth fa- 
vour : but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come 
unto him. 

28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall : but 
the righteous shall flourish as a branch. 

29 He that troubleth his own house shall inherit 
the wind : and the fool shall be servant to the wise 
of heart. 



lesser things, riches, but it cannot the greater, 
honor. 18. Omit hath in b, the force of 
earneth continuing. Sure, better real, i.e., 
enduring, while the prosperity of the wicked is 
deceitful, i. e., it seems to be enduring but is not. 
19 may be rendered freely : If one is steadfast 
in righteousness (it tends) to life; and if one 
pursues evil (it tends) to his death. 21a is 
nearly identical with 16 : 5b. Though hand 
join in hand, Ty T, yddh I'yadh, render 
simply, assuredly. The idiom is a peculiar 
one, but this is its most probable meaning. 
The parallelism suggests that seed in b does 
not mean posterity but race, so that the seed 
of the righteous is equivalent to a race con- 
sisting of righteous, the righteous as a class, 
like a seed of evil-doers l = see also 65 : 23). 
22. Jewel. Ring, the rendering of the A. R. 
V., is better. A gold ring in the nose was an 
ornament that was often used. The thought 
is that as such a beautiful ornament is incon- 
gruous on swine, being used for an ordinary 
ring, so is physical beauty incongruous when 
joined with an unattractive character. It is 
more literal to render b, So is a woman (who 
is) fair but without discretion. 23. Same 
thought as in 10 : 28. Good and wrath in- 
dicate respectively not what is the quality of 
the desires, but their result. " Wrath" is wrath 
of God. 24. Scattereth, spends liberally. It 



18 The wicked earneth deceitful wages : 

But he that soweth righteousness hath a sure 
reward. 

19 He that is stedfast in righteousness shall attain 

unto life : 

And he that pursueth evil doeth it to his own 
death. 

20 They that are perverse in heart are an abomina- 

tion to the Lord : 
But such as are perfect in their way are his 
delight. 

21 Though hand join in hand, the evil man shall not 

be unpunished : 
But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. 

22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, 

So is a fair woman which is without discretion. 

23 The desire of the righteous is only good : 
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath. 

24 There is that scattereth, and increaseth yet 

more ; 

And there is that withholdeth more than is 
meet, but it tendeth only to want. 

25 The liberal soul shall be made fat : 

And he that watereth shall be watered also him- 
self. 

26 He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse 

him : 

But blessing shall be upon the head of him that 
selleth it. 

27 He that diligently seeketh good seeketh favour : 
But he that searcheth after mischief, it shall 

come unto him. 

28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall : 

But the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf. 

29 He that troubleth his own house shall inherit 

the wind : 

And the foolish shall be servant to the wise of 
heart. 



is implied rather than stated that the spending 
is to some extent benevolent. More than is 
meet, better, what is due. 25. Watereth, not 
the ordinary word, but one which means to give 
to drink to satiety, TXYVHi, Mrwd. It is probably 
a form of the same word in watered. 26. 
Corn (grain), the rendering of the A. E. V. 
is the better. This refers to times of famine, 
which were not uncommon in Palestine, when 
many who had grain would refuse to sell in 
order to hold it for still higher prices. This 
indicated an inordinate greed and a disregard 
of the sufferings of one's fellow-men. With- 
holdeth means thus, refuses to sell. 27a is 
similar to 8 : 35b. Omit diligently. The con- 
nection with good as well as the parallelism 
would suggest that by favour is meant the favor 
of God. The thought of a is, then, that one who 
seeks that which is morally good is by that very 
fact seeking the favor of God. It is of course 
implied that he obtains it. Mischief in b 
is to be understood of moral evil, and the fol- 
lowing it refers to the implied result of evil, 
viz, disaster, punishment. 28b. (See Ps. 1 : s. ) 
29a. Some have thought that troubleth his 
own house here means, brings into confusion 
his own household affairs, his business matters. 
But it is preferable to regard "house" as used 
in the meaning household, family for several 
reasons. One is that the verb here used every- 



52 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XII. 



30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life ; and 
he that winueth souls is wise. 

31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in 
the earth : much more the wicked and the sinner. 



CH APT 

1 WHOSO loveth instruction loveth knowledge : 
but he that hateth reproof is brutish. 

2 A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord : but 
a man of wicked devices will he condemn. 

3 A man shall not be established by wickedness : 
but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. 

4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband : 
but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in 
his bones. 

5 The thoughts of the righteous are right : but the 
counsels of the wicked are deceit. 

6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for 
blood : but the mouth of the upright shall deliver 
them. 

7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not : but 
the house of the righteous shall stand. 

8 A man shall be commended according to his 
wisdom : but he that is of a perverse heart shall be 
despised. 

9 He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better 
than he that honoureth himself, and laeketh bread. 

10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his 
beast : but the tender mercies of the wicked are 
cruel. 



where else takes an object really personal. Con- 
nected with this is the fact that the verb nowhere 
else has the meaning assigned to it here on the 
former view. Another reason is that the mean- 
ing is household in 15 : 27, where the same He- 
brew phrase occurs, i/V3 "0'J7, 'okher betho. 
"Troubleth" is hardly strong enough for the 
verb ; it usually means, brings disaster upon. 
The meaning of a, then, is: he who by his mis- 
conduct brings disaster upon his own household 
will himself suffer by loss of property. In- 
herit, render, possess. 30a. Note the incon- 
gruity of the figure, (see 18: 4.) Tree of life, 
(see note on 3 : is.) B, winneth, literally, takes, 
rip 1 ?, ldqe(&)h. This is an unusual form of 
expression, but, in harmony with a, it may 
be understood to mean, takes to himself, wins, 
as in 6 : 25, souls, i. e., persons; he so in- 
fluences them that they follow in the same 
course as the wise man himself, i. e., the path 
of wisdom. 31a lays down the general rule, 
which is the uniform teaching of Proverbs. In 
connection with it b would not necessarily assert 
that there are exceptions to it. It does recognize 
at any rate the possibility of such exceptions, 
and calls attention to the fact that they do not 
interfere with justice for the wicked, that is even 
more sure. Recompensed is used here with 
reference both to rewarding the good and pun- 
ishing the evil. 



Chap. 12. 2a is similar to 8 : 35b. Con- 



30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life ; 
And he that is wise winneth souls. 

31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in 

the earth : 

How much more the wicked and the sinner ! 

EE XII. 

1 WHOSO loveth correction loveth knowledge : 
But he that hateth reprooi is brutish. 

2 A good man shall obtain invor of the Lord : 
But a man of wicked devices will he condemn. 

3 A man shall not be established by wickedness : 
But the root of the righteous shall never be 

moved. 

4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband : 
But she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in 

his bones. 

5 The thoughts of the righteous are just : 
But the counsels of the wicked are deceit. 

6 The words of the wicked are of lying in wait for 

blood : 

But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. 

7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not : 
But the house of the righteous shall stand. 

8 A man shall be commended according to his 

wisdom : 

But he that is of a perverse heart shall be de- 
spised. 

9 Better is he that is lightly esteemed, and hath a 

servant, 

Than he that honoureth himself, and laeketh 
bread. 

10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast : 
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. 



demn is a legal term, it means pronounce 
guilty. 3b is similar to ver. 12b. The thought 
of the verse is expressed in a different form in 

10 : 25. 4a. (See 31 : 10; Ruth 3 : 11.) VirtU- 

ous {worthy); the rendering of the A. R. V. is 
the better. A means she brings him to honor 
and position. B. That maketh ashamed, 
render, that does shamefully. (See 10 :5b.) Rot- 
tenness in his bones. The Hebrew phrase is 

Similar to that in 14 : 30b. (See also note on S : 8.) 

5. Thoughts, better, plans. 6a. The thought 
is more fully expressed in 1 : 11-19. Are of ly- 
ing in wait, render, are a lying in wait, which 
means, lie in wait. B. Shall deliver, better, 
according to the parallelism, delivers. Them in 
b refers not to a single word in a but to the 
general idea, viz, those brought into peril by 
the wicked. The thought of the verse is similar 
to that of 11 : 9. 7. For thought see 10 : 25. 
8. Wisdom. The thought would perhaps be 
better expressed by intelligence. Heart, ren- 
der, mind. What is commended in this verse 
is good sense, clear judgment. 9. Servant, 
better, slave. And in a means and yet. B. 
Honoureth himself, better, makes himself 
great, i. e., plays the great man. The thought 
is concerning social standing, comfort is better 
than show. Better means not morally better, 
but is r';i a preferable condition. 10. Render, 
A righteous man knows the feelings of his beast ; 
but the heart of the wicked is cruel. A is 
explained by Exod. 23 : 9, where the Hebrew 



Ch. XII.] 



PROVERBS 



53 



11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with 
bread : but he that followeth vain persons is void of 
understanding. 

12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men : but 
the root of the righteous yieldeth /rati. 

13 The wicked is snared by the transgression of 
his lips : but the just shall come out of trouble. 

14 A man shall bp satisfied with good by the fruit 
of his mouth ; and the recompense of a man's hands 
shall be rendered unto him. 

15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes : but 
he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. 

16 A fool's wrath is presently known : but a pru- 
dent man covereth shame. 

17 He that speaketh truth sheweth forth right- 
eousness : but a false witness deceit. 

18 There is that spenkcth like the piercings of a 
sword : but the tongue of the wise is health. 

19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever : 
but a lying tongue is but for a moment. 

20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine 
evil : but to the counsellors of peace is joy. 

21 There shall no evil happen to the just : but the 
wicked shall be filled with mischief. 



phrase is the same, tJ/SJ JH 1 , yddhii nephlsh, 
where the rendering of the E. V. is : For ye 
know the heart of a stranger (sojourner). 
"Know" implies also have consideration for. 
The thought, then, is not directly of care for 
the life, but of merciful or cruel treatment. 
The phraseology is the same in 29 : 7a. 11a 
is identical with 28 : 19a, and b is similar in 
both. Vain persons, better, vain things, i. e., 
plans for becoming rich more quickly than by 
honest toil. This points to a time when agri- 
culture was the common occupation, so that it 
is spoken of as the type of honest labor. 12a. 
Render, A wicked man desires the prey of wicked- 
ness, i. e., he desires unjustly gotten gain. B. 
Yieldeth fruit should probably be rendered, 
is enduring, with a slight change in the He- 
brew text, following G. and T., reading |JV&$, 
'ithan, for JIT, yltten. The MT. does not nat- 
urally give a good meaning. It is naturally 
implied in a that the unjustly gotten gain is 
not an enduring possession, which affords a con- 
trast with the endurance of the root of the right- 
eous. 13. Similar to 29 : 6 ; b, similar to 11 : 
8a. The thought of a is that a wicked man 
is snared by his own words. B is in contrast 
with a but is more general — the righteous comes 
forth from trouble in general. 14a. Good words 
of course benefit others; it is here stated that 
they also benefit the man himself. The thought 
of this particular case in which a man receives 
a reward according to his acts is generalized 
in b to a statement of the doctrine so often 
stated in the Old Testament; a man is recom- 
pensed in accordance with his acts, good or 
evil. It is also explicitly recognized in the 



11 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of 

bread : 

But he that followeth after vain persons is void 
of understanding. 

12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men : 
But the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit. 

13 In the transgression of the lips is a snare to the 

evil man : 

But the righteous shall come out of trouble. 

14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit 

of his mouth : 
And the doings of a man's hands shall be ren- 
dered unto him. 

15 The way of the foolish is right in his own eyes : 
But he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel. 

16 A fool's vexation is presently known : 
But a prudent man concealeth shame. 

17 He that uttereth truth sheweth forth righteous- 

ness, 

But a false witness deceit. 

18 There is that speaketh rashly like the piercings 

of a sword : 
But the tongue of the wise is health. 

19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever : 
But a lying tongue is but for a moment. 

20 Deceit is in the heart of them that devise evil : 
But to the counsellors of peace is joy. 

21 There shall no mischief happen to the righteous : 
But the wicked shall be filled with evil. 



New Testament, as in Gal. 6 : 7. This teach- 
ing is further stated in 13 : 2 ; 18 : 20 ; 14 : 14 ; 
22 : 8. A here is nearly identical with a in 
13 : 2 ; 18 : 20. In all these passages it is not 
direct recompense from God that is meant, but 
that which comes through one's fellow-men. 
15a is somewhat similar to 3 : 7a. It is of 
course evident that this way is in reality wrong, 
and it is also necessarily implied that the fool 
refuses to heed advice. The latter thought is 
the basis of contrast with b. 16. Presently, 
better, at once; literally, on that day. The 
verse counsels calmness in the face of provoca- 
tion, such as insult, etc. 17b is similar to 14 : 
5b, 25b. B refers to a court of justice, which 
makes it probable that the same is true of a. 
In that case he that uttereth truth would be 
a true witness. Such a one showeth forth 
righteousness, i. e., causes justice to be 
known, helps to establish it. B teaches that 
on the other hand a false witness is helping 
to establish deceit. Deceit does not mean in- 
justice, although the parallelism would be more 
precise if it did. Deceit and injustice are nat- 
urally associated, however, as in Ps. 43 : 1, so 
that there is without doubt an implication of 
injustice in the word. The teaching of the verse 
is concerning the effect of testimony in court, a 
true witness is helping to establish justice, and 
a false witness deceit. The interpretation here 
given is confirmed by the meaning of the similar 
passage, 14 : 25. This interpretation gives more 
meaning than the one adopted by many, that a 
witness will testify according to his character. 
18. Health, render, healing, and see 4 : 22b. 
21. The verse is similar to Ps. 32 : 10. Evil, 



54 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XIII. 



22 Lying lips are abomination to the Lord : but 
they that deal truly are his delight. 

23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but 
the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. 

24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule : but 
the slothful shall be under tribute. 

25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop ; 
but a good word maketh it glad. 

26 The righteous is more excellent than his 
neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth 
them. 

27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he 
took in hunting : but the substance of a diligent 
man is precious. 

28 In the way of righteousness is life ; and in the 
pathway thereof there is no death. 

CHAPTE 

1 A WISE son heareth his father's instruction ; 
but a scorner heareth not rebuke. 

2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth : 
but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. 

3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life : but 
he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruc- 
tion. 

4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath 
nothing : but the soul of the diligent shall be made 
fat. 

5 A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked 
man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. 

6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the 
way : but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. 

7 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath 
nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet 
hath great riches. 



render, misfortune, it is physical, not moral evil 
that is meant. This verse presents the general 
view of life in Proverbs, the good prosper, the 
bad suffer. 22. The same general thought is 
found in 10 : 31, 32 ; 12 : 19 ; 13 : 5 ; 16 : 13 ; 20 : 
23 ; see also 11 : 20. 23b is similar to 13 : 16b. 
It would be pushing the teaching of this verse 
to an unwarranted extreme to suppose that it 
means that a prudent man does not communi- 
cate knowledge at all. It does mean, forcibly 
expressed, that he is careful about it; that as a 
general rule he keeps silent, but the fool speaks. 
24. A somewhat similar thought in 10 : 4. 25. 
(see is : 13; n : 22.) Heaviness, render, anx- 
iety. Maketh it stoop, perhaps better, bows 
■it down. Good, the meaning in this connec- 
tion seems to be kind. 26. The meaning of 
the verse is much disputed. The most proba- 
ble meaning, without change of the consonantal 
text, is given by the rendering of a : The right- 
eous searches out his friend. This means that he 
studies, examines his friend, the result of which 
must be that he is able to assist him, to lead 
him in the right way. This implied thought 
forms the basis of an antithetic parallelism 
which is not very close, the righteous leads his 
friend aright, the wicked leads himself astray. 
27. Render, A slothful man catches not his 
prey ; but the precious substance of men is to be I 



22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord : 
But they that deal truly are his delight. 

23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge : 

But the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. 

24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule : 
But the slothful shall be put under taskwork. 

25 Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop ; 
But a good word maketh it glad. 

26 The righteous is a guide to his neighbour : 
But the way of the wicked causeth them to err. 

27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he 

took in hunting : 
But the precious substance of men is to the dili- 
gent. 

28 In the way of righteousness is life ; 

And in the pathway thereof there is no death. 

R XIII . 

1 A WISE son heareth his father's instruction : 
But a scorner heareth not rebuke. 

2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth : 
But the soul of the treacherous shall eat violence. 

3 He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his life : 
But he that openeth wide his lips shall have de- 
struction. 

4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath 

nothing : 

But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. 

5 A righteous man hateth lying : 

But a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to 
shame. 

6 Righteousness guardeth him that is upright in 

the way : 

But wickedness overthroweth the sinner. 

7 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath 

nothing : 

There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath 
great wealth. 



diligent. A indicates that a slothful man is un- 
successful even in his hunting; b, that to be 
diligent is in itself a precious treasure, and of 
course brings success. 28b. The rendering of 
R.V. is not in accordance with Hebrew idiom ; 
change one vowel, reading Sx, 'el for Sx, 
and render, but a byway (leads) unto death. 
" Byway " means the way of sin, the parallelism 
is antithetic. The Hebrew phrase translated 
"byway" does not occur elsewhere, but the 
meaning given is in accordance with analogy. 



Chap. 13. 2a is nearly identical with 12 : 
14a. (See alio is : 20a.) Man means of course 
a good man. B. Render, But the desire of the 
treacherous is violence, nearly as in R. V. Marg. 
This translation, while less in harmony with the 
parallelism, gives in itself the better meaning. 
" Desire " means, by metonymy, object of de- 
sire. " Violence" is of course that done to others. 
The meaning of b is that the real desire of the 
wicked is for violence. 3b is similar to 10 : 14b ; 
18 : 7a. 4. Sou! in both clauses means the seat 
of desire. 6. The way, omit the. "Way," as 
often, means course of life. 7. Maketh him- 
self rich . . . maketh himself poor, ren- 
der, feigns himself rich . . . feigns himself poor. 
A. (See 12 : 9b. ) A shows hypocritical ostenta- 
tion; b, hypocritical miserliness. The lesson 



Ch. XIII.] 



PROVERBS 



55 



8 The ransom of a man's life are his riches : but 
the poor heareth not rebuke. 

9 The light of the righteous rejoiceth : but the 
lamp of the wicked shall be put out. 

10 Only by pride cometh contention : but with 
the well advised is wisdom. 

11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished : 
but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. 

12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but 
when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. 

13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed : 
but he that feareth the commandment shall be re- 
warded. 

14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to de- 
part from the snares of death. 

15 Good understanding giveth favour : but the 
way of transgressors is hard. 

16 Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge : 
but a fool layeth open his folly. 



of the verse is, Be sincere. 8. Threatening. 

The word so translated, HTJM, g e 'ara, commonly 
means rebuke, as in ver. 1 . The meaning " threat- 
ening " is shown especially by Isa. 30 : 17, where 
A. R. V. translates threat, and it manifestly refers 
to a threatened attack. Here the thought is the 
same, threatened attack, and the meaning is 
that the poor does not hear, i. e., heed, as in 
ver. 1 and often, any threatened attack because 
he knows he has nothing of which to be robbed. 
The ransom of a is most naturally, especially 
from the parallelism, a ransom paid to robbers. 
The meaning of the verse is : A rich man escapes 
with his life from robbers, but by a loss of 
property; the poor man has no occasion to fear 
them. It is an illustration of the law of compen- 
sation, a poor man escapes some of the dangers 
of the rich. 9b is identical with 24 : 20b, except 
for the conjunction here. (See also 20 : 20, and job 
18 : 5, 6.) Rejoiceth, i. e., burns brightly, a 
natural use of metaphorical language. The 
passages in Proverbs in which lamp or light is 
used metaphorically are, besides the present 
passage, 20 : 20 and 24 : 20, but not 31 : 18 ; see 
note there. It is probable that in all these pas- 
sages the idea is general, being suggested by the 
common and natural association of light with 
comfort and prosperity ; so that light in this 
metaphorical use signifies prosperity, and the 
quenching of a light, adversity. These ideas 
are found in the two clauses of this verse. This 
explanation of the meaning is better than to at- 
tempt to connect the meaning with any special 
customs of the Jews, the existence of which is 
doubtful, (see note on si : is.) 10a. Render, By 
pride one causes only contention. B. The well 
advised, better, those who receive advice. 11. 
By vanity. This gives no suitable meaning 
here. It is therefore better to transpose two 
consonants, giving biTSD, m'bhohal, for i^Qft, 
mehebhll, following the reading of G. and 



8 The ransom of a man's life is his riches : 
But the poor heareth no threatening. 

9 The light of the righteous rejoiceth : 

But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. 

10 By pride cometh only contention : 
But with the well advised is wisdom. 

11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished : 
But he that gathereth by labour shall have in- 
crease. 

12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick : 

But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. 

13 Whoso despiseth the word bringeth destruction 

on himself : 

But he that feareth the commandment shall be 
rewarded. 

14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, 
To depart from the snares of death. 

15 Good understanding giveth favour : 

But the way of the treacherous is rugged. 

16 Every prudent man worketh with knowledge : 
But a fool spreadeth out folly. 

V., and render, in haste; the thought is then 
similar to that of 20 : 21 and 28 : 22. It is here 
implied, as in those passages, that such wealth 
is obtained by illegitimate means. By labor, 
render, gradually. Here it is implied, on the 
other hand, that such gathering is in accord- 
ance with legitimate methods. 12b is similar to 
19a. Render b : But desire fulfilled is a tree of 
life. " Fulfilled " is literally, which has come to 

pass. Tree Of life. (SeenoteonS:18.) 13. The 

word is the divine word. (8eei6:20.) Com- 
mandment, this also is from God. (see 19 : 16.) 
14. The verse is similar to 14 : 27 ; b is identical 
in both ; a is similar to 10 : 11a. Law, render, 
teaching, and see note on 1 : 8. B does not in- 
dicate directly purpose or result, it is rather an 
expansion of the predicate of a. Fountain 
of life is, it is said, a means by which one may 
escape the snares of death. Snares of death. 
The phrase occurs also in Ps. 18 : 5. The word 
"snares" presupposes a hunter, who, if men- 
tioned, must here be death. It is probable, there- 
fore, that by "snares of death" are meant the 
snares set by death, personified as a hunter. It 
is also true, however, that the snares result in 
death. 15a is similar to 3 : 4, and somewhat also 
to 12 : 8a. Giveth. This means gives to one 
favor in the sight of others ; it is thus practically 
about equivalent to wins. Is rugged (is hard). 
This is not a literal rendering of the Hebrew 
text, which can only mean, is permanent, which 
gives no meaning here. It seems necessary to 
change slightly the text of one word, reading 
DTK, 'edham, for 'Uhan, following G., 

and render, is their destruction. This means, 
brings destruction to them. This affords a suita- 
ble meaning, as well as a contrast to a. 16a. 
Render, A prudent man does everything with 
knowledge. This does not require a change in 
the order of words in the Hebrew, as some sup- 
pose. B. Spreadeth out (flaunteth), the 



56 



PKOVERBS 



[Ch. XIV. 



17 A wicked messenger falleth into mischief : but 
a faithful ambassador is health. 

18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that ref useth 
instruction : but he that regardeth reproof shall be 
honoured. 

19 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul : 
but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil. 

20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise : 
but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. 

21 Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous 
good shall be repaid. 

22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his chil- 
dren's children ; and the wealth of the sinner is 
laid up for the just. 

23 Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but 
there is that is destroyed for want of j udgment. 

24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son ; but he 
that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. 

25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his 
soul : but the belly of the wicked shall want. 



17 A wicked messenger falleth into evil : 
But a faithful ambassador is health. 

18 Poverty and shame sltaU be to him that refuseth 

correction : 

But he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. 

19 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul : 
But it is an abomination to fools to depart from 

evil. 

20 Walk with wise men, and thou shalt be wise : 
But the companion of fools shall smart for it. 

21 Evil pursueth sinners : 

But the righteous shall be recompensed with 
good. 

22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his chil- 

dren's children ; 
And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the 
righteous. 

23 Much food is in the tillage of the poor : 

But there is that is destroyed by reason of in- 
justice. 

24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son : 

But he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. 

25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul : 
But the belly of the wicked shall waut. 



CHAPTER XIV 



1 EVERY wise woman buildeth her house: but 
the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. 

2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the 
Lord : but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth 
him. 



1 EVERY wise woman buildeth her house : 

But the foolish plucketh it down with her own 
hands. 

2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the 

Lord : 

But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him. 



rendering of the A. R.V. is the better ; it means 
makes a display of. On b, see 12 : 23b ; 15 : 2b. 
17a. Falleth, render, plunges (one), reading 
b2"=yapp'il, for b'B'=y~tppdl. This requires 
no change in the consonantal text, and is fav- 
ored by the parallelism. It has reference to 
the effect of a bad messenger not on himself, 
but on the one who sends him. B. (see 25 : 13.) 
Health, render, healing, i. e., comfort, refresh- 
ment, coming from success. 18. The verse is 
similar to 15 : 32. 19a is similar to ver. 12b. 
B. (See 29 : 2ib.) The desire, better, a desire. 
But, render, and. B may be regarded as giv- 
ing a specific example of the general fact of a, 
stated from the other side, a fool clings to his 
desire, which is evil. 20. Walk with means 
associate with. Be wise, better, become wise. 
Smart for it, better, suffer, as in 11 : 15a. 
21. Evil, better, misfortune. B. Render, 
But he recompenses the righteous with good. 
"He" refers to God. "Good" means good 
fortune, prosperity. 22b. For thought see 
28 : 8 ; Job 27 : 16 f. 23. Render, Tlie great 
man eats of the newly tilled land of the poor ; 
and wealth is accumulated by injustice. This 
translation involves two changes of vowels, 
but no changes in consonants in the Hebrew 
text, reading r&bh 'okhel, for 

rdbh 'okhSl. 1 The rendering of a is substanti- 
ally that of T., that of b, of Fr. This rendering 
has the advantage of giving, without change of 
the consonantal text, a good connected mean- 

1 See " American Journal of Semit 



ing to the verse, which can not be made out of 
MT. The thought in a is that the great ones 
oppress the poor, eating even the product of the 
land which they have just begun to cultivate, 
and in b a more general thought of the same 
kind is presented, that wealth is often gathered 
by injustice. The parallelism may be called 
synonymous. It is a statement of what is seen 
by observation, without express comment ; the 
thought is somewhat similar to that of 14 : 31. 
24. The verse is similar to 23 : 13; 29 : 15; 
Ecclus. 30 : 1 f. Spares means luithholds, does 
not use at all. The meaning of a is that a son 
who is not chastened is sure to grow up to be 
bad, so that a parent who does not punish is 
really seeking to injure his son. There is proba- 
bly no direct reference to the infliction of death 
on a disobedient son, which is mentioned in 
such passages as Deut. 21 : 18-21. B gives the 
antithesis to a. 25. The verse is similar to 
10 : 3 ; Ps. 34 : 10 ; 37 : 25. Soul is used here 
in the meaning of appetite, seat of desire. 



Chap. 14. 1. On a see 24: 3. Everywise 
woman, render, the wisdom of women. The 
foolish, render, the folly, i. e., of women. The 
thought is the result of the labors of a wise 
woman in promoting the prosperity of her 
household and of a foolish woman in destroying 
it. The verse gives great prominence to women, 
but not more so than 12 : 4 ; 31 : 10-31. 2. The 
verse makes religion and morality inevitably 
ic Languages," Vol. XIX., p. 53 f. 



Ch. XIV.] 



PROVEEBS 



57 



3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride : 
but the lips of the wise shall preserve them. 

4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean : but much 
increase is by the strength of the ox. 

5 A faithful witness will not lie : but a false wit- 
ness will utter lies. 

6 A seorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not : 
but knowledge is easy unto him that under- 
standeth. 

7 Go from the presen.ce of a foolish man, when 
thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. 

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his 
way : but the folly of fools is deceit. 

9 Fools make a mock at sin : but among the 
righteous tliere is favour. 

10 The heart knoweth his own bitterness ; and a 
stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy. 

11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown : 
but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish. 

12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a 
man ; but the end thereof are the ways of death. 

13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful ; and 
the end of that mirth is heaviness. 

14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his 
own ways : and a good man shall be satisfied from 
himself. 

15 The simple believeth every word : but the pru- 
dent man looketh well to his going. 

16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil : 
but the fool rageth, and is confident. 



connected. 3. A rod of pride (rod for his 
pride), render, a shoot of pride. The word 
translated "shoot," "1C3TI, hotSr, occurs else- 
where only in Isa. 11 : 1. The meaning is that 
the language of the fool is proud, it is a shoot 
springing from the stock of pride in his heart. 
Them refers to the wise ; in the similar passages 
12 : 6, 18, on the other hand, the reference is to the 
effect on others. 4a probably means that one 
who has no cattle saves the expense of providing 
for them ; b, that, on the other hand, cattle are 
a source of income. A is to be regarded as in 
reality concessive without the formal expression, 
the meaning being: although this is the case, 
yet. The verse is addressed to those who might 
think it an advantage not to be obliged to pro- 
vide fodder for cattle ; they are admonished to 
remember the other side of the ease. 5. The 

Verse is similar to 12 : 17. ( See also 6 : 19 ; u : 25 ; 19 : 

5.) The thought here is that a man testifies ac- 
cording to his character; 12 : 17 expresses more 
than that ; see note there. 6. The seeking in a is 
manifestly external not real, it is for some ad- 
vantage that may be gained, and does not begin 
with the fear of God. The thought is similar to 
that of 1 : 28 ; see note there. 7. Render, Go 
forth from the presence of a foolish man, since 
thou hast not perceived in him lips of knowledge. 
This is the natural rendering of the verse, and 
gives the best meaning. This makes the verse 
an admonition to avoid the society of fools. 8. 
Deceit probably means self-deceit. 9a. Ren- 
der with R. V., not A. R. V. Among in b in- 
dicates that by good will is meant the mutual 



3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride : 
But the lips of the wise shall preserve them. 

4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean : 

But much increase is by the strength of the ox. 

5 A faithful witness will not lie : 
But a false witness uttereth lies. 

6 A seorner seeketh wisdom, mid. findeth it not : 
But knowledge is easy unto him that hath un- 
derstanding. 

7 Go into the presence of a foolish man, 

And thou shalt not perceive in him the lips of 
knowledge. 

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his 

way : 

But the folly of fools is deceit. 

9 The foolish make a mock at guilt : 

But among the upright there is good will. 

10 The heart knoweth its own bitterness ; 

And a stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy. 

11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown : 
But the tent of the upright shall flourish. 

12 There is away which seemeth right unto a man, 
But the end thereof are the ways of death. 

13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful ; 
And the end of mirth is heaviness. 

14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his 

own ways : 

And a good man shall be satisfied from himself. 

15 The simple believeth every word : 

But the prudent man looketh well to his going. 

16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil : 
But the fool beareth himself insolently, and is 

confident. 



favor of men to each other, otherwise it would 
naturally mean the favor of God. The thought 
of the verse then is, the foolish continually in- 
cur guilt by their treatment of their fellow-men, 
and care not for it; the upright escape guilt by 
mutual good will. 10b. Render, and another 
cannot share its joy. 11. The verse is very 
similar to 12 : 7. 12. The verse is identical 
with 16 : 25 ; a similar thought is found in 5 : 
5 f ; 7 : 27 ; 12 : 28 ; see note on last passage. 
Way is singular in form, but really plural in 
meaning, as is often the case ; there are some 
such ways, some courses of action. 13. Is sor- 
rowful, render, may be sorrotofal. The ren- 
dering of R. V. is equally possible, but such a 
general statement does not accord with the facts 
of life, nor with the cheerful view of life ordi- 
narily presented in Proverbs. As translated 
above the thought is that in many cases there is 
an undercurrent of sorrow in the midst of laugh- 
ter. Mirth, render, the mirth, i.e., such mirth 
as is spoken of in a. Eccl. 7 : 3 gives a contrast 
to the thought of the verse. 14. Render, One 
perverted in heart shall be sated from his own 
ways ; and a good man from his own deeds. This 
rendering involves a slight change of text in 
one word, which is demanded by the parallelism 
and general thought, reading vSbjJSp, mlm- 
ma' a lalaw, for vhpft, mealdw. " One perverted 
in heart " means one whose heart is turned away 
from God. The force of "shall be sated" in a 
continues to b. The thought of both is, a man 
receives a full return for his deeds. 15a shows 
undue credulity, b wise cautiousness. 16 



58 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XIV. 



17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly : and a 
man of wicked devices is hated. 

18 The simple inherit folly : but the prudent are 
crowned with knowledge. • 

19 The evil bow before the good ; and the wicked 
at the gates of the righteous. 

20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour : 
but the rich hath many friends. 

21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth : but 
he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he. 

22 Do they not err that devise evil ? but mercy 
and truth shall be to them that devise good. 

23 In all labour there is profit: but the talk of 
the lips tendeth only to penury. 

24 The crown of the wise is their riches : but the 
foolishness of fools is folly. 

25 A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful 
witness speaketh lies. 

26 In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence ; 
and his children shall have a place of refuge. 

27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to 
depart from the snares of death. 

28 In the multitude of people is the king's hon- 
our : but in the want of people is the destruction of 
the prince. 

29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understand- 
ing : but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. 

30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh : but envy 
the rottenness of the bones. 

31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his 
Maker : but he that honoureth him hath mercy on 
the poor. 

32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness : 
but the righteous hath hope in his death. 

33 Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath 



Feareth. The object is not stated, and there- 
fore is probably to be regarded as general, but 
with especial reference to God. Evil here is 
moral evil, evil actions. The thought is similar 
to that of 3 : 7 and 16 : 6. The fool, better, a 
fool. Confident, i. e., self-confident. 17. Both 
clauses are unfavorable, the second being strong- 
er than the first, (see 10 : is.) 18. Inherit, ren- 
der, possess. Are crowned with, render, hold 
fast, the literal meaning being surround. 19. 
Supply are after wicked in b. The plural 
gate s suggests a palace, as in 8 : 34. A indicates 
submission in general of the evil to the good ; b, 
more specifically, that they come to them as 
suppliants to the gates of a palace. 20. The 
verse is very similar to 19 : 4. B. It is more 
literal to render, But the friends of the rich are 
many, which expresses the same thought. 21a 
is similar in thought to Lev. 19 : 18. Neigh- 
bor. The context, especially the parallelism, 
shows that he is thought of as poor. 22a is a 
rhetorical question implying the answer surely, 
as in 8 : 1. 23. In, better, for, i. e., as the re- 
ward for. Profit, better, gain. 24b. It is 
implied that this is in spite of riches. 25. The 
verse is similar to 12 : 17. Delivereth souls, 
render, saves lives, i. e., saves the innocent from 
being put to death unjustly. B. It is implied 
by the parallelism that as a consequence of the 
deceit men are put to death unjustly. 26b is 



17 He that is soon angry will deal foolishly : 
And a man of wicked devices is hated. 

18 The simple inherit folly : 

But the prudent are crowned with knowledge. 

19 The evil bow before the good ; 

And the wicked at the gates of the righteous. 

20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour : 
But the rich hath many friends. 

21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth : 

But he that hath pity on the poor, happy is he. 

22 Do they not err that devise evil ? 

But mercy and truth shall be to them that devise 
good. 

23 In all labour there is profit : 

But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury. 

24 The crown of the wise is their riches : 
But the folly of fools is only folly. 

25 A true witness delivereth souls-: 

But he that uttereth lies causeth deceit. 

26 In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence : 
And his children shall have a place of refuge. 

27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, 
To depart from the snares of death. 

28 In the multitude of people is the king's glory : 
But in the want of people is the destruction of 

the prince. 

29 He that is slow to anger is of great understanding: 
But he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. 

30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh : 
But envy is the rottenness of the bones. 

31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his 

Maker : 

But he that hath mercy on the needy honoureth 
him. 

32 The wicked is thrust down in his evil-doing : 
But the righteous hath hope in his death. 

33 Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath 

understanding : 



similar to 13 : 22a; 20 : 7 ; Exod. 20 : 5. His. 
The antecedent is not any word expressed, 
but is the implied actor in a, the one in whom 
is the fear of Jehovah. 27. The verse is simi- 
lar to 13 : 14, b being identical in both. 29. 
Exalteth, better, carries, bears it about con- 
tinually. 30. A sound heart (a tranquil 
heart), better, a tranquil mind. Envy, the 
parallelism indicates that it is better to give the 
more general meaning passion. Bones. (See 
note on 3 : 8.) 31a is nearly identical with 17 : 
5a. (see also 22 : 2 ; job 31 : 15.) B is similar to 19 : 
17a. His Maker. " His " refers probably to the 
poor rather than to the oppressor, the thought be- 
ing that injury to the poor is really injury done to 
God who created him. 32. Evil -doing, render, 
calamity. A means that in the time of calamity 
the wicked is overthrown, there is no further 
hope for him. Hath hope (hath a refuge). 
The rendering of the A. K. V. is the better, 
although the meaning is about the same. The 
thought is that he has a hope, and also a sure 
basis for it. According to general usage this 
means a hope in God. This could only be in 
reference to the future life, which is therefore 
the reference here, as previously in 11 : 7, where 
see note. The change of text by some, to avoid 
the reference to the future life, is unnecessary. 
33. In comparison with a see 10 : 14 ; with b, 
13 : 16b and 15 : 2b ; and with the verse as a 



Ch. XV.] 



PROVERBS 



59 



understanding : but that which is in the midst of 
fools is made known. 

34 Righteousness exalteth a nation : but sin is a 
reproach to any people. 

35 The king's favour is toward a wise servant : 
but his wrath is against him that causeth shame. 



CH APT 

1 A SOFT answer turneth away wrath : but 
grievous words stir up anger. 

2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright : 
but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. 

3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, behold- 
ing the evil and the good. 

4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life : but per- 
verseness therein is a breach in the spirit. 

5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction : but he 
that regardeth reproof is prudent. 

6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure : 
but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble. 

7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge : but 
the heart of the foolish doeth not so. 

8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination 
to the Lord : but the prayer of the upright is his 
delight. 

9 The way of the wicked is an abomination unto 
the Lord : but he loveth him that followeth after 
righteousness. 

10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh 
the way : and he that hateth reproof shall die. 

11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord ; how 
much more then the hearts of the children of men ? 



whole, 12 : 23. Eender, Wisdom rests in an in- 
telligent heart ; but is made known in the inward 
part of fools. The subject in b can only be 
"wisdom " from a. The contrast is in the words 
" rests " and " is made known " ; the meaning of 
the verse is, then, that a wise man keeps wisdom 
in his heart, he himself keeps silent, while a fool 
is continually talking and proclaiming it. The 
chief difficulty is in the use of the word wis- 
dom in reference to a fool, a difficulty which 
is removed, however, by regarding it as used 
subjectively ; it is what the fool regards as 
wisdom. The contrast is between the silence 
of the wise and the talkativeness of fools. 
There is no difficulty here sufficiently great to 
make it necessary to change the text, as some 
have thought. 35b. Render, but his wrath is 
he that does shamefully. " Wrath " here means 
by metonymy object of wrath. 



Chap. 15. lb. (See note on 6 : 14c.) 2. (See 

16 : S3.) A is similar to ver. 7a. 3. The verse is 
similar to 5 : 21 (see note), Ps. 33 : 13-15. This 
verse is intended as a warning to evil-doers. 
4. Wholesome (gentle). The rendering of 
the A. R. V. is the better. Perhaps better yet 
is soothing. A tree of life, (see note on 
s : is. ) 5. Getteth prudence, better, acts 



But that which is in the inward part of fools is 
made known. 

34 Righteousness exalteth a nation : 
But sin is a reproach to any people. 

35 The king's favour is toward a servant that deal- 

eth wisely : 

But his wrath shall be against him that causeth 
shame. 



ER XV. 

1 A SOFT answer turneth away wrath : 
But a grievous word stirreth up anger. 

2 The tongue of the wise uttereth knowledge 

aright : 

But the mouth of fools poureth out folly. 

3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, 
Keeping watch upon the evil and the good. 

4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life : 

But perverseness therein is a breaking of the 
spirit. 

5 A fool despiseth his father's correction : 

But he that regardeth reproof getteth prudence. 

6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure : 
But in the revenues of the wicked is trouble. 

7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: 
But the heart of the foolish doeth not so. 

8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to 

the Lord : 

But the prayer of the upright is his delight. 

9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the 

Lord : 

But he loveth him that followeth after right- 
eousness. 

10 There is grievous correction for him that forsak- 

eth the way : 
And he that hateth reproof shall die. 

11 Sheol and Abaddon are before the Lord : 

How much more then the hearts of the children 
of men ! 



prudently. 6a, it is better to render literally, 
The house of the righteous is much treasure, 
which means, by metonymy, is a place of much 
treasure. B is similar in thought to ver. 27 ; 
10:2a; 11:4a. Trouble. The antithesis is 
not quite exact, but it is not necessary to change 
the text of this word in order to make it more 
exact, as some have done, (see n : 29; 15 : 27.) 
7a is similar to ver. 2a ; 10 : 31a. Doeth not 
so is a tame conclusion. Render, is not right, 
i. e., does not itself have the right tendency 
and so cannot guide and help others. 8a is 
similar to 28 : 9 ; 21 : 27 ; Isa. 1 : 11 f. ; b to 29b ; 
11 : 20 ; 12 : 22. It is difficult not to think that 
prayer and sacrifice are here used as nearly 
synonymous, although they could hardly be 
entirely so. Sacrifice and prayer are often asso- 
ciated, prayer accompanying sacrifice. Hence 
it is probable that here sacrifice speaks of one 
part and prayer of another, of the same general 
act of worship. Sacrifice is mentioned else- 
where in Proverbs in 7 : 14 ; 17 : 1 ; 21 : 3, 27. 
10. Grievous correction. The parallelism 
indicates that this is another phrase for death. 
The way, i. e., the right way, the way of 

life. (See 2 : 13 ; 10 : 17 ; 5:6; 15 : 24 ; 8 : 20 ; 12 : 28.) 

B. (see 5 : 23; io .- n, 27.) The teaching is that 
untimely death follows sin. 11a. Very similar 



60 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XV. 



12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him : 
neither will he go unto the wise. 

13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance : 
but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. 

14 The heart of him that hath understanding 
seeketh knowledge : but the mouth of fools feedeth 
on foolishness. 

15 All the days of the afflicted are evil : but he 
that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. 

16 Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than 
great treasure, and trouble therewith. 

17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than 
a stalled ox and hatred therewith. 

18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife : but he that 
is slow to anger appeaseth strife. 

19 The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of 
thorns : but the way of the righteous is made plain. 

20 A wise son maketh a glad father : but a foolish 
man despiseth his mother. 

21 Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom : 
but a man of understanding walketh uprightly. 

22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed : 
but in the multitude of counsellors they are estab- 
lished. 

23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth ; 
and a word spoken in due season, how good is it ! 

24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he 
may depart from hell beneath. 



12 A scorner loveth not to be reproved : 
He will not go unto the wise. 

13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance : 
But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. 

14 The heart of him that hath understanding seek- 

eth knowledge : 
But the mouth of fools feedeth on folly. 

15 All the days of the afflicted are evil : 

But he that is of a cheerful heart hath a con- 
tinual feast. 

16 Better is little with the fear of the Lord, 
Than great treasure and trouble therewith. 

17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, 
Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. 

18 A wrathful man stirreth up contention : 
But he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife. 

19 The way of the sluggard is as an hedge of 

thorns : 

But the path of the upright is made an high 
way. 

20 A wise son maketh a glad father : 

But a foolish man despiseth his mother. 

21 Folly is joy to him that is void of wisdom : 

But a man of understanding maketh straight 
his going. 

22 Where there is no counsel, purposes are disap- 

pointed : 

But in the multitude of counsellors they are 
established. 

23 A man hath joy in the answer of his mouth : 
And a word in due season, how good is it ! 

24 To the wise the way of life goeth upward, 
That he may depart from Sheol beneath. 



phraseology is found in Job 26 : 6 ; see also Ps. 
139 : 8, 11 f. ; 38 : 9. Sheol is here used as the 
strongest expression for a place unknown to 
men. Abaddon. The word means, literally, 
destruction. It is always used as a descriptive 
term, synonymous with " Sheol." B is similar 
to Jer. 17 : 10 ; Ps. 38 : 9 ; see also Prov. 25 : 3. 
12b is the result of a. 13. Heart in both 
clauses has the somewhat uncommon meaning 
of the seat of the emotions ; so in ver. 15. Spirit 
has here the same meaning as sometimes in 
English — courage, resolution. 14a is very simi- 
lar to 18 : 15a. Eender a, An intelligent mind 
seeks knowledge. B. Feedeth on, render, 
is occupied with, i. e., in its utterance. 15. The 
afflicted, here better, one in trouble. Evil, 
here not in the ethical sense, but meaning 
hard, burdensome. Heart. (See note on ver. 13.) 
16. The verse is similar to 16 : 8 ; 17 : 1 ; Ps. 
37 : 16. Here and in ver. 17 there is no intima- 
tion that riches generally cause trouble, hatred, 
etc. In fact, the general teaching of Proverbs 
is that riches, at least to a moderate extent, are 
a blessing, the gift of God, and a token of his 
favor. But sometimes they are wrongly ac- 
quired and evils may be associated with them. 
They are not, therefore, the greatest blessing ; 
the ethical and religious condition is more im- 
portant. 17. Stalled, render, fatted. 18a 
is nearly identical with 29 : 22a (««: 2» : 
22* ), and is similar to 28 : 25a. Wrathful, 
better, passionate. It means not one who is 
angry, but one who is easily angered, who often 



becomes angry, the exact opposite of slow to 
anger in b. 19a, the meaning is that the 
way is continually beset with difficulties, so 
that he is unable to advance. Here the diffi- 
culties are real, caused by his laziness ; in 22 : 
13 they are imaginary. B. The exact antith- 
esis to sluggard would be diligent. An an- 
tithesis is obtained, however, by the natural 
inference from b that the upright man is dili- 
gent. 20a is identical with 10 : la ; b is simi- 
lar to 10 : lb. 21. Here, as elsewhere, folly is 
an ethical as well as an intellectual term, as is 
suggested by maketh straight in b. 22. 
Similar to 11 : 14 ; b is similar to 20:18a; 
24:6b. Purposes are disappointed, bet- 
ter, plans are broken, i. e., fail. Are estab- 
lished, i. e., succeed. 23a, see 24: 26; b, 
see 25 : 11. In the answer, better, through 
the answer. Some think that answer here 
means in general utterance, as probably in 
16 : 1. But it is better to keep the common 
meaning here, as that is equally appropriate in 
the connection, and think of a fitting answer to 
what another has said. The joy might natu- 
rally come both from his own recognition of the 
fitness of the answer and from a similar recog- 
nition on the part of others. 24a, render, The 
way of life which is upward (belongs) to the 
wise. " Life," in the phrase " way of life," in 
Proverbs, regularly refers to the present life, so 
that the presumption is that it does so here. It 
is also to be observed that the phrase is in 
contrast with Sheol in b, which would indi- 



Ch. XVI.] 



PROVERBS 



61 



25 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud : 
but he will establish the border of the widow. 

26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomina- 
tion to the Lord : but the words of the pure are 
pleasant words. 

27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own 
house : but he that hateth gifts shall live. 

28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer : 
but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil 
things. 

29 The Lord is far from the wicked : but he hear- 
eth the prayer of the righteous. 

30 The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart ; and 
a good report maketh the bones fat. 

31 The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth 
among the wise. 

32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own 
soul : but he that heareth reproof getteth under- 
standing. 

33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wis- 
dom ; and before honour is humility. 



CHAPT 

1 THE preparations of the heart in man, and the 
answer of the tongue, is from the Lord. 

2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own 
eyes : but the Lord weigheth the spirits. 

3 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy 
thoughts shall be established. 



25 The Lord will root up the house of the proud : 
But he will establish the border of the widow. 

26 Evil devices are an abomination to the Lord : 
But pleasant words are pure. 

27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own 
house : 

But he that hateth gifts shall live. 

28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: 
But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil 

things. 

29 The Lord is far from the wicked : 
But he heareth the prayer of the righteous. 

30 The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart : 
And good tidings make the bones fat. 

31 The ear that hearkeneth to the reproof of life 
Shall abide among the wise. 

32 He that refuseth correction despiseth his own 
soul : 

But he that hearkeneth to reproof getteth under- 
standing. 

33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wis- 
dom ; 

And before honour goeth humility. 

EE XVI. 

1 THE preparations of the heart belong to man : 
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 

2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes : 
But the Lord weigheth the spirits. 

3 Commit thy works unto the Lord, 
And thy thoughts shall be established. 



cate a reference to this life. It is therefore best 
to accept that meaning, since it is entirely suit- 
able in this connection. Upward is used as a 
description of the present life in contrast with 
beneath in b, which is used as a description 
of'Sheol." 25a is similar to 16 :5a. Estab- 
lish the border, (see 22 : 28 ; 23 : 10 ; Deut. 19 : 
u; 27 : 17.) This means confirm the owner in 
possession of the land in contrast with the re- 
moval of the boundary, which was equivalent 
to its being seized by some one else. 26. As it 
stands, b gives little meaning either by itself or 
in connection with a. It seems best to change 
the text slightly, nearly with Chajes, reading 
DJJ'J D'-IDN 'Hint?*, ut e h6re ' a marim no&m, for 
0J'_'J _, T3K DHl'nib*, uhhorim 'irn'ri no&m, and 
render, But the pure in words are acceptable (to 
him), which affords a good meaning and is in 
harmony with the parallelism. 27. Gain, 
render, unjust gain. Troubleth means brings 
disaster upon. For the thought, see note on 11 : 
29. Gifts (bribes), the rendering of A. R. V. is 
the better. These are such as are offered to a 
judge. By itself the thought of a might be more 
general, referring to any unjust acquisition, but 
in connection with b it probably refers especially 
to oppression by an unjust judge. 28. Heart, 
render, mind. The chief thought of ver. 28 is 
that the righteous speaks after due considera- 
tion, the wicked inconsiderately. It is also 
implied in a that the words are good and stated 
in b that they are evil. 29b. (See ver. b ; p«. 
i : 6.) 30. Heart may be his own or an- 
other's; the parallelism indicates the latter. 



The light of the eyes, then, means a 
friendly, fa vorable look of the eyes. See simi- 
lar phrases in 16 : 15 and Ps. 4 : 6. 31. Ear, 
synecdoche, meaning man, as often. Reproof 
of life, reproof leading to life. 32. (See 8 : se : 
13 : is,- 19 : s.) Despiseth his own soul, 
better, despises himself, i. e., regards himself, 
in particular his general welfare, as of little 
value. Another possible rendering is, despises 
his life, but it is not so good because there is 
nothing in this connection to point specifically 
to the thought of death. 33a is similar to 
1 : 7 ; 9 : 10 ; b is identical with 18 : 12b, where 
it is in exact antithetic parallelism. Instruc- 
tion of wisdom means instruction leading to 
wisdom. The relation of subject and predicate 
in a is not very exact ; the meaning is, the fear 
of Jehovah gives instruction leading to wisdom. 



Chap. 16. 1. The preparations of the 
heart, render, The deliberations of the mind. 
Answer is probably used in a broad sense, 
equivalent to utterance. The verse apparently 
can only mean, man can think and deliber- 
ate, but Divine help is needed to speak words 
that are fitting. The thought is somewhat 
like that of Matt. 10 : 19. It cannot be gen- 
eralized, as Toy would do, so as to be equiva- 
lent to "Man proposes, God disposes"; see 
note on ver. 9. It is a similar thought, but in a 
specific application referring only to speech. 
2. The verse is nearly identical with 21 : 2 and 
similar to 3 : 7 ; 14 : 12 ; 24 : 12. 3. Works, in 
the sense of undertakings. Thoughts (pur- 



62 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XVI. 



4 The Lord hath made all things for himself ; 
yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. 

5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomina- 
tion to the Lord : though hand join in hand, he 
shall not be unpunished. 

6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged ; and by 
the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. 

7 When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh 
even his enemies to be at peace with him. 

8 Better is a little with righteousness, than great 
revenues without right. 

9 A man's heart deviseth his way. but the Lord 
directeth his steps. 

10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king : 
his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. 

11 A just weight and balance are the Lord's; all 
the weights of the bag are his work. 

12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wick- 
edness ; for the throne is established by righteous- 
ness. 

13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings ; and 
they love him that speaketh right. 

14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death ; 
but a wise man will pacify it. 

15 In the light of the king's countenance is life ; 
and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain. 



poses). The rendering of A. R. V. is the bet- 
ter. Shall be established means shall suc- 
ceed. 4. The Lord (Jehovah) hath made 
everything, render, Every work of Jehovah is, 
following G., S., and T., without change of 
consonantal text, reading VjTS, po&l, for hps, 
pa'&l. The thought is similar, but this ren- 
dering is more in harmony with the usual 
tone of Proverbs, being more practical and 
less speculative. The day of evil, render, 
a day of calamity. The thought of the verse 
is that every created object has its own deter- 
mined purpose, which is true even of the wicked, 
who are destined to be overtaken by disaster 
and destruction. 5a is similar to 15 : 25a ; 
b is nearly identical with 11 : 21a. Though 
hand join in hand, render, Assuredly, as in 
11 : 21. 6. Purged {atoned for). The ren- 
dering of the A. It. V. is the better. The teach- 
ing of a apparently contradicts other biblical 
statements, even those of the Old Testament. 
But only apparently, for this is not to be re- 
garded as a complete statement. In some re- 
spects, especially in relation to one's fellow- 
men, which is indicated by the words mercy 
and truth, this would be true. B is similar 
to 3 : 7b ; 14 : 16a. 8. The verse is similar to 
15 : 16 f. 9. A man's heart deviseth, bet- 
ter, A man's mind plans. This verse, rather 
than ver. 1, is the equivalent of the modern 
proverb, " Man proposes, God disposes." 10. 
Some passages about kings are simply founded 
on experience, as ver. 14, 15. Others present 
the ideal of the king. Necessarily, however, 
the latter would not be -written under a bad 



4 The Lord hath made every thing for its own 

end : 

Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. 

5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomina- 

tion to the Lord : 
Though hand join in hand, he shall not be un- 
punished. 

6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged : 

And by the fear of the Lord men depart from 
evil. 

7 When a man's ways please the Lord, 

He maketh even His enemies to be at peace with 
him. 

8 Better is a little with righteousness 
Than great revenues with injustice. 

9 A man's heart deviseth his way : 
But the Lord directeth his steps. 

10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king : 
His mouth shall not transgress in judgement. 

11 A just balance and scales are the Lord's : 
All the weights of the bag are his work. 

12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wicked- 

ness : 

For the throne is established by righteousness. 

13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings ; 
And they love him that speaketh right. 

14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death : 
But a wise man will pacify it. 

15 In the light of the king's countenance is life ; 
And his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain. 



king, who would be a conspicuous contrast 
with the ideal, and would be entirely out of 
harmony with the time of a foreign king. This 
verse presents the ideal of the theocratic king 
as God's representative. There is no reason for 
weakening the statement by saying, what is in 
no way indicated, that the verse, especially a, 
simply presents the popular idea of the king. 
11. See note on 11 : 1. The two clauses express 
substantially the same thought in different lan- 
guage. 12b is very similar to 25 : 5b. 14. 
Some think that b means a man who is wise 
will show his wisdom by endeavoring to pacify 
it. But this is not the natural interpretation. 
It is better to regard a as indicating the danger 
to people in general from the wrath of the king 
and b as indicating the safety of the wise, be- 
cause by their wisdom they are able to pacify 
the wrath. This should perhaps be indicated 
by rendering, can pacify it. B shows the 
power of wisdom. 15. Light of the coun- 
tenance, friendly look. (See 15 : 30.) The 
latter rain. The Old Testament often speaks 
distinctively of the early rain and the latter 
rain. The fact is that the whole winter was the 
rainy season, beginning the last of October and 
closing about the middle of April. During this 
time the rain was to a large extent continuous. 
It is not true, as many have supposed, that 
there were two periods of rain, with an interval 
between them. But the beginning and end 
were of chief importance for practical pur- 
poses. Abundance of rain at the beginning 
was necessary in order to soften the ground for 
successful plowing and at the end in order to 



Ch. XVI.] 



PROVERBS 



63 



16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold ! 
and to get understanding rather to be chosen than 
silver ! 

17 The highway of the upright is to depart from 
evil : he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. 

18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty 
spirit before a fall. 

19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the 
lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. 

20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall rind 
good ; and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. 

21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent : 
and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. 

22 Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him 
that hath it : but the instruction of fools is folly. 

23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and 
addeth learning to his lips. 

24 Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to 
the soul, and health to the bones. 

25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man ; 
but the end thereof are the ways of death. 

26 He that laboureth, laboureth for himself; for 
his mouth craveth it of him. 

27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil ; and in his 
lips there is as a burning fire. 

28 A frovvard man soweth strife ; and a whisperer 
separateth chief friends. 

29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and 
leadeth him into the way that is not good. 



help the growing crop and insure a bountiful 
harvest. The harvest began about the end of 
the rain, the middle of April. Abundance of 
rain in the middle of the rainy season was ex- 
pected as certain, but it was not so certain at 
the beginning and end. Thus the anxiety about 
the early and late rain arose both from their 
importance and their relative uncertainty. On 
account of this anxiety they were designated by 
name and often especially mentioned. 16. See 
note on 3 : 14. 17. The verse is similar to 13 : 3 ; 
15 : 10. Is to depart from evil, render, avoids 
calamity. Either rendering is possible, but the 
one given is favored by the parallelism. B. 
Nearly the same phraseology is found in 19 : 16a, 
the contrasted thought in 19 : 16b. Soul, render, 
life. This rendering is plainly indicated by the 
parallelism in 19 : 16a, and also less distinctly in 
13 : 3, where the same phrase occurs. 18. Simi- 
larity of thought with this verse is found in 
many passages in Proverbs and elsewhere ; see 
especially 18 : 12. 19. The antithesis is ex- 
act. Lowly spirit is contrasted with proud, 
and poor with divide the spoil. 20. 
Word is the word of God, as suggested by the 
parallelism, (see 13 : is.) Good here means 
prosperity. Happy is he. (See u : 21.) 21. 
In the usual translation, a really says nothing 
that is not obvious. It is better to render, with 
Cha.jes, without change of the consonantal text, 
reading ^Tp 1 , y'tQra, for K^jT, yiqqare , An 
intelligent man calls to the wise in mind, i. e., 
summons him to give instruction to him, which 



16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold ! 
Yea, to get understanding is rather to be chosen 

than silver. 

17 The high way of the upright is to depart from 

evil : 

He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. 

18 Pride goeth before destruction, 
And an haughty spirit before a fall. 

19 Better it is to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, 
Than to divide the spoil with the proud. 

20 He that giveth heed unto the word shall find 

good : 

And whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. 

21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: 
And the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. 

22 Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him 

that hath it : 
But the correction of fools is their folly. 

23 The heart of the wise instructeth his mouth, 
And addeth learning to his lips. 

24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, 
Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. 

25 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, 
But the end thereof are the ways of death. 

26 The appetite of the labouring man laboureth 

for him ; 
For his mouth craveth it of him. 

27 A worthless man deviseth mischief: 
And in his lips there is as a scorching fire. 

28 A froward man scattereth abroad strife : 
And a whisperer separateth chief friends. 

29 A man of violence enticeth his neighbour, 
And leadeth him in a way that is not good. 



affords an appropriate thought. B. Ver. 21b 
and 23b are so similar that they are probably 
connected in origin. If so, the presumption is 
that the word rendered learning has the same 
syntactical relation in both. In ver. 23b it can 
hardly be subject, therefore it is to be regarded 
as object in both. In both verses render, in- 
stead of learning, persuasiveness; see 7 : 21 
where the meaning of the Hebrew word is simi- 
lar. In ver. 21b the thought is that graceful- 
ness of expression improves the persuasive power 
of wise speech, (see 22 : lib.) 23. Heart, 
render, mind. The thought of a is similar to 
that of 15 : 2a. On b see note on ver. 21b. 
24a is similar to Ps. 19 : 10. B. (See 15 : 4, sot>.) 
Health, render, healing. 25. The verse is 
identical with 14 : 12, see note there. 26b. 
Craveth it of him (urgeth him thereto). The 
rendering of A. R,. V. is the better. The verse 
gives an illustration of the prominence of hu- 
man appetite as a compelling motive in hu- 
man industry. 27. Both clauses have refer- 
ence to the effect of his life on his fellow-men. 

28. See note on 6 : 14c. The thought of the 
verse is similar to that of 26 : 20. Froward 
(perverse). The rendering of A. K. V. is the 
better. Separateth chief friends is a possi- 
ble rendering of miiphridh 'alluph, 
but the natural interpretation is that indicated 
by the rendering, alienates (his own) intimate 
friend. The same phrase is found in 17 : 9b. 

29. This verse expresses not what the man 
of violence always accomplishes, but what he 



64 



PKOVERBS 



[Ch. XVII. 



30 He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things ; 
moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass. 

31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be 
found in the way of righteousness. 

32 He that is slow to anger is better than the 
mighty ; and he that ruleth his spirit than be that 
taketh a city. 

33 The lot is cast into the lap ; but the whole dis- 
posing thereof is of the Lord. 



CH APTE 

1 BETTER is a dry morsel, and quietness there- 
with, than an house full of sacrifices with strife. 

2 A wise servant shall have rule over a son that 
causeth shame, and shall have part of the inherit- 
ance among the brethren. 

3 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for 
gold : but the Lord trieth the hearts. 

4 A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips ; and a 
liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. 

5 Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his 
Maker ; and he that is glad at calamities shall not 
be unpunished. 

6 Children's children are the crown of old men ; 
and the glory of children are their fathers. 

7 Excellent speech becometh not a fool ; much 
less do lying lips a prince. 

8 A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him 
that hath it ; whithersoever it turneth, it pros- 
nereth. 



seeks to do, viz, to make his own neighbor 
an accomplice with himself. (See i : 10.) 30. 
Froward things (perverse things) . The ren- 
dering of A. R. V. is the better. B. Bring- 
eth evil to pass, naturally to be rendered as 
past, has (already) brought evil to pass. The 
use of tenses indicates that a refers to a contrac- 
tion of the eyes by one who is planning wicked- 
ness, and b to a compression of the lips, per- 
haps in scorn, by one who has accomplished, 
partly or wholly, the designed evil. 31. A 
crown of glory, better, an honorable crown. 
B. It shall be, better, it is, i. e., it is attained 
by a life of righteousness, the thought being the 
common one in Proverbs, and in the Old Testa- 
ment generally, that only the righteous reach 
old age with the consequent gray hair. 32. (see 
25 : 28.) 33. The verse is similar in thought to 
ver. 9. The practice of casting lots was com- 
mon in all antiquity, and is often mentioned in 
the Old Testament with the teaching that God 
directs the throw, at least under certain circum- 
stances. Lot is mentioned again in 18 : 18. 
Disposing thereof, better, decision of it, i. e., 
the decision which it produces. 



Chap. 17. 1. The verse is similar to 15 : 16, 17. 
Feasting with strife. The literal rendering 
is better, sacrifices of strife. It means sacrificial 
feasts accompanied with strife. The reason why 



30 He that shutteth his eyes, it is to devise froward 

things : 

He that compresseth his lips bringeth evil to 
pass. 

31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, 

It shall be found in the way of righteousness. 

32 He that is slow to anger is better than the 

mighty ; 

And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh 

a city. 

33 The lot is cast into the lap ; 

But the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. 



R X VII . 

1 BETTER is a dry morsel and quietness there- 

with, 

Than an house full of feasting with strife. 

2 A servant that dealeth wisely shall have rule 

over a son that causeth shame, 
And shall have part in the inheritance among 
the brethren. 

3 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for 

gold : 

But the Lord trieth the hearts. 

4 An evil-doer giveth heed to wicked lips ; 
And a liar giveth ear to a mischievous tongue. 

5 Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker : 
And he that is glad at calamity shall not be un- 
punished. 

6 Children's children are the crown of old men ; 
And the glory of children are their fathers. 

7 Excellent speech becometh not a fool : 
Much less do lying lips a prince. 

8 A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him 

that hath it : 
Whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth. 



sacrificial feasts were especially singled out for 
mention is probably that they were especially 
sumptuous repasts, since meat was not common 
as an ordinary article of diet. See 7 : 14, and 
note there. 2. Shall have rule . . . shall 
have part, instead of "shall" render as po- 
tential, may. This seems better because such 
reversals of fortune could never have been com- 
mon, so that it seems unlikely that they would 
be presented as constituting the general rule. 
The thought is that an unworthy son may be 
disinherited, and a worthy slave take his place, 
sharing the inheritance with the other sons. 
A. Causeth shame, render, does shamef ally. 
3a is identical with 27 : 21a; b is similar to 
15 : 11; 24 : 12. Trieth, better, tests. The 
meaning of b is that it is Jehovah alone who is 
able to test the hearts. 4. The thought is that 
one who gives heed to wicked conversation 
thereby shows himself to be wicked. 5a is very 
nearly identical with 14 : 31a. Calamity. 
The parallelism suggests that it is the sudden 
occurrence of poverty. 6. The verse is similar 
in thought to Ps. 127 and 128. A expresses the 
common view, b emphasizes the other side, the 
value of parents to their children. 7. Prince, 
better, man of nobility. The reference in both 
clauses is to the incongruity with the character 
of the two respectively. 8. Gift (bribe). The 
rendering of A. R. V. is the better. Of him 



Ch. XVII.] 



PROVERBS 



65 



9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love : 
but he that repeateth a matter separateth very 
friends. 

10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than 
a hundred stripes into a fool. 

11 An evil man seeketh only rebellion ; therefore 
a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. 

12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, 
rather than a fool in his folly. 

13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not 
depart from his house. 

14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth 
out water ; therefore leave off contention before it 
be meddled with. 

15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he thatcon- 
demneth the just, even they both are abomination 
to the Lord . 

16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool 
to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to itf 

17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is 
born for adversity. 

18 A man void of understanding striketh hands, 
and becometh surety in the presence of his friend. 



9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love : 
But he that harpeth on a matter separateth chief 
friends. 

10 A rebuke entereth deeper into one that hath un- 

derstanding 
Than an hundred stripes into a fool. 

11 An evil man seeketh only rebellion ; 
Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against 

him. 

12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, 
Rather than a fool in his folly. 

13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good, 
Evil shall not depart from his house. 

14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth 

out water : 

Therefore leave off contention, before there be 
quarrelling. 

15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that con- 

demneth the righteous, 
Both of them alike are an abomination to the 
Lord. 

16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool 

to buy wisdom, 
Seeing he hath no understanding ? 

17 A friend loveth at all times, 

And a brother is born for adversity. 

18 A man void of understanding striketh hands, 
And becometh surety in the presence of his 

neighbour. 



that hath it, is literally, of its possessor. This 
may designate the giver or the receiver. If un- 
derstood of the former, the rendering of b will 
be, Whithersoever he turns he will prosper. In 
that case the thought of a is, a bribe is regarded 
by the one who uses it as something of real and 
undeniable value. B then continues to express 
his own estimation of the case, not fully the 
reality. His idea is that wherever he turns he 
will prosper ; a bribe is equally efficient in any 
direction. This is a more consistent interpreta- 
tion than can be obtained by understanding pos- 
sessor in the other way. An opinion of the moral 
quality of bribery is found in ver. 23, here the 
statement is simply the result of observation. 
9a is similar to 10 : 12b. Harpeth on, ren- 
der, repeats, i. e., tells publicly. Separateth 
chief friends, render, alienates (his own) in- 
timate friend, as in 16 : 28, where the Hebrew 
phrase is the same. 10. The reading of MT. 
gives a form difficult to explain. It is probably 
best to follow partly the reading of Fr., after 
G., without change of the consonantal text, 
reading nn/?, t&heth (from nr\n, hdthdth), for 
finri, tehSth, and render, A rebuke agitates one 
that has understanding, more than a hundred 
stripes a fool. 11a. Render, A rebellious man 
seeks only disaster. "Seeks," not consciously, 
but he seeks that which inevitably results in dis- 
aster, the same use of the word as in ver. 19b. 
Calleth is used in the same way in 18 : 6. There- 
fore, better, and. Since it is rebellion that is 
in mind, the messenger is one sent from the king 
to punish him. 12. A bear robbed of her 
whelps is very dangerous, (see Hos. 13 : 8.) But 
here the thought is that the fool is really more 



dangerous. 13. Rewardeth, better, returns. 
B. Evil, better, disaster. It is the same Hebrew 
word as in a, njH, rati, a play upon the two 
common meanings of the word. 14. See note on 
6 : 14c. The thought of a is not expressed 
very definitely, but apparently it has reference 
to the ease of letting out water that is dammed 
up, and the difficulty of damming it again. Strife 
begun will continue, as the water continues to 
run. The meaning of b is plain, but the trans- 
lation somewhat uncertain ; perhaps best, there- 
fore cease before contention breaks forth, i. e., 
check the first beginnings of contention. 15. 
(see 21 ■. 2i.) Justifieth . . . condemneth, 
both used in a legal sense. The statement would 
apply especially to unjust judges. 16. The 
thought is, wisdom cannot be bought, money is 
of no consequence in connection with it ; mental 
and religious preparation is necessary for its ac- 
quisition. 17. A friend, literally, the friend, 
i. e., one who is a friend in a special sense, 
meaning a true friend. Some have regarded the 
parallelism as antithetic, but there is no indica- 
tion of contrast, so that it is better to regard it 
as synonymous. The thought is, a true friend 
is such at all times, including the time of need, 
and a brother is especially helpful in adversity. 
Friend and brother are classed together as simi- 
lar, brother indicating one who is really worthy 
of the name. In 18 : 24b and 27 : 10 a different 
thought is found, brother designating merely 
physical relationship, in contrast with friend. 
18. Similar warnings are found in 6 : 1-5 ; 11 : 15 ; 
20 : 16; 22 : 26; 27 : 13. Striketh hands, in 
token of becoming surety for another. Here all 
suretyship is condemned, (see note on 6 : 1-5.) 



66 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XVIII. 



19 He loveth transgression that loveth strife : 
and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction. 

20 He that hath a froward heart findeth no good ; 
and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into 
mischief. 

21 He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow ; 
and the father of a fool hath no joy. 

22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine : but 
a broken spirit drieth the bones. 

23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom 
to pervert the ways of judgment. 

24 Wisdom is before him that hath understanding ; 
but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. 

25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bit- 
terness to her that bare him. 

26 Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike 
princes for equity. 

27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words : 
and a man of understanding is of an excellent 
spirit. 

28 Even a fool when he holdeth his peace is 
counted wise ; and he that shutteth his lips is 
esteemed a man of understanding. 



CH APT 

1 THROUGH desire a man, having separated 
himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wis- 
dom. 

2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but 
that his heart may discover itself. 

3 When the wicked cometh, then cometh also con- 
tempt, and with ignominy reproach. 



19a is similar to 29 : 22 ; see also note on 6 : 
14c. B, see 16 : 18. Bender a, He that loves 
strife loves punishment, regarding the usual word 
for transgression, pesha, as here expressing 
its result, punishment, as in Dan. 9 : 24. The 
second " loves" and seeketh in b are used in 
the same way as " seeketh " in ver. 11. See note 
there. He that raiseth high his gate, as 
part of a lofty building, an indication of pride. 
20a. See 16 : 20; b, see 10 : 31. Good means 
prosperity, as in 16 : 20. Mischief, better, 
calamity. 21. The verse is similar to ver. 25 ; 
10:1. 22. (see 3 : 8 ; is : 24.) The verse teaches 
in general the power of the mind over the body. 
Drieth up the bones. In contrast with 
phrases like that of 3 : 8b, see note there. 23. 
Gift (bribe). The rendering of A. E. V. is 
the better. A wicked man refers to a cor- 
rupt judge. The meaning of the verse is that a 
corrupt judge receives a bribe to render an un- 
just decision. The bosom is specified as a 
secret place where the bribe would be carried, 
used similarly in 21 : 14. To understand "a 
wicked man " as referring to the bribe giver, as 
some do, is less natural here. On b, see 18 : 5. 
24a probably means that wisdom is before him 
as a goal, i. e., he keeps it always in mind as the 
object of his striving. In b, on the contrary, 
the thoughts of the fool are wandering, he has 
no one thing in mind, he is thinking of every- 
thing but wisdom. 25. The verse is similar to 



19 He loveth transgression that loveth strife : 

He that raiseth high his gate seeketh destruction. 

20 He that hath a froward heart findeth no good : 
And he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into 

mischief. 

21 He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow : 
And the father of a fool hath no joy. 

22 A merry heart is a good medicine : 
But a broken spirit drieth up the bones. 

23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom, 
To pervert the ways of judgement. 

24 Wisdom is before "the face of him that hath un- 

derstanding : 
But the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. 

25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, 
And bitterness to her that bare him. 

26 Also to punish the righteous is not good, 
Nor to smite the noble for their uprightness. 

27 He that spareth his words hath knowledge : 
And he that is of a cool spirit is a man of under- 
standing. 

28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is 

counted wise : 
When he shutteth his lips, he is esteemed as pru- 
dent. 



EE XVIII. 

1 HE that separateth himself seeketh his own de- 

sire, 

And rageth against all sound wisdom. 

2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, 
But only that his heart may reveal itself. 

3 When the wicked cometh, there cometh also 

contempt, 
And with ignominy cometh reproach. 



ver. 21 ; 10 : 1 ; 15 : 20 ; 19 : 13. 26. Also, ren- 
der, even. Punish. The usual meaning of I^J^, 
'an&sh, is fine, which is probably better here; 
this is the word modified by "even." Smite 
means punish by scourging. Noble is used in 
an ethical sense, as in ver. 7 (see note) and Isa. 
32 : 5, 8. The most probable interpretation of 
the verse is that which is indicated by the para- 
phrastic rendering : Even to "fine" the right- 
eous is not good, how much less to "smite " the 
noble on account of their uprightness. B is 
thus intended to be stronger than a. 27. See 
the same and contrasted thought in 10 : 19 and 
13 : 3. He that is of a cool spirit means one 
who is calm, unruffled. 28. In Proverbs a ret- 
icent man is the type of a wise man. See such 
passages as 12 : 23. So a fool can pass for wise as 
long as he keeps silent, both because he is assum- 
ing the usual demeanor of a wise man, and be- 
cause he is not betraying his folly by his speech. 



Chap. 18. 1. Separateth himself. There 
is nothing here to point definitely to one who 
separates himself from the congregation of Israel, 
as many have thought. It is better, therefore, 
to regard the words as more general, referring to 
one who breaks with his friends, through jeal- 
ousy, hatred, misunderstandings, etc. Such a 
one is characterized as selfish and unreasonable. 
2. Heart, render, mind. May reveal itself 
refers, of course, to making folly manifest. 3. 



Ch. XVIII. ] 



PROVERBS 



67 



4 The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, 
and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook. 

5 It is not good to accept the person of the 
wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment. 

6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his 
mouth calleth for strokes. 

7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips 
are the snare of his soul. 

8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and 
they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. 

9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother 
to him that is a great waster. 

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower ; the 
righteous runneth into it, and is safe. 

11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and 
as a high wall in his own conceit. 

12 Before destruction the heartof man is haughty, 
and before honour is humility. 

13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth 
it, it is folly and shame unto him. 

14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity : 
but a wounded spirit who can bear? 

15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge ; 
and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. 

16 A man's gift maketh room for him, and bring- 
eth him before great men. 

17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth j ust ; 
but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him. 

18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, and 
parteth between the mighty. 

19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a 
strong city ; and their contentions are like the bars 
of a castle. 

20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit 



4 The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters ; 
The wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook. 

5 To accept the person of the wicked is not good, 
Nor to turn aside the righteous in judgement. 

6 A fool's lips enter into contention, 
And his mouth calleth for stripes. 

7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, 
And his lips are the snare of his soul. 

8 The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, 
And they go down into the innermost parts of 

the belly. 

9 He also that is slack in his work 

Is brother to him that is a destroyer. 

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower : 
The righteous runneth into it, and is safe. 

11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city, 
And as an high wall in his own imagination. 

12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, 
And before honour goeth humility. 

13 He that giveth answer before he heareth, 
It is folly and shame unto him. 

14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity ; 
But a broken spirit who can bear? 

15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge ; 
And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. 

16 A man's gift maketh room for him, 
And bringeth him before great men. 

17 He that pleadeth his cause first seemeth just ; 
But his neighbour cometh and searcheth him out. 

18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, 
And parteth between the mighty. 

19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a 

strong city : 

And such contentions are like the bars of a castle. 

20 A man's belly shall be filled with the fruit of his 

mouth ; 



It is more natural to regard this verse, like 11 : 
2 and other proverbs, as indicating, in con- 
tempt and reproach, not the feeling of the 
wicked toward others, but their feeling toward 
him. Ignominy, in this connection, appar- 
ently must mean shameful actions. 4a gives 
a thought similar to that of 20 : 5a, the unsearch- 
ableness of a man's words. Wellspring, bet- 
ter, fountain. Here the comparison naturally 
suggests the inexhaustibleness of the supply of 
wisdom which flows from a wise man. The ob- 
jection to this interpretation of b is the incon- 
gruity of the figurative expressions. But such 
incongruities are not uncommon in Proverbs ; 
see, e. g., 11 : 30. 5a is similar in thought to 
24 : 23b ; 28 : 21a. 6. Enter into, better, come 
with, i. e., bring. Calleth, used in the same 
way as seeketh, 17 : 11 ; see note there. 7. On 
the verse see 10 : 19a; 12 : 13a; on a, 13 : 3b; 
on b, 13 : 14b; 14 : 27b. Soul, some render 
here, self, but the best rendering is life. This is 
favored by the parallelism, and also especially 
by the use of the word in connection with the 
word snare, which suggests captivity and death. 
8. Identical with 26 : 22. The verse states the 
avidity with which people in general listen to 
the words of a slanderer. A whisperer is a 
slanderer. (Seei6:28.) For the comparison with 
food, see 19 : 28b ; Job 20 : 12-16 ; 34 : 7. 9b is 
nearly identical with 28 : 24b. Is brother. 
This is a strong way of saying, is similar, pro- 



duces the same results. 11a is identical with 
10 : 15a ; the application of the thought is dif- 
ferent in the two passages. 12a is similar to 
16 : 18a ; b is identical with 15 : 33b. 13. (see 
Eccius. ii : 8.) 14. Spirit is here used as the 
seat of courage. Will sustain, better, sustains. 
Infirmity, better, misfortune, literally sickness. 
Bear, the meaning is not endure, but sustain, 
who can support that which should be itself the 
support. 15a is very similar to 15 : 14a. The 
heart of the prudent, render, an intelligent 
mind. 16. The thought of the verse is similar 
to that of 19 : 6b. There is no occasion here to 
think exclusively or chiefly of bribes, the verse 
is more general in statement. It tells of the 
power of complimentary gifts, which are so 
common and so potent in the East. Great 
men, the same phrase is used in a similar con- 
nection in 25 : 6b. 17. This is in effect an ad- 
monition to a judge to hear carefully both sides 
of a case. Neighbor, the other party to the 
lawsuit. 18b means, it separates them from 
each other, prevents further discord, being thus 
similar to a. 19. Something like that supplied 
in R. V. is implied in a ; such an ellipsis is not 
uncommon. Such, the connection with the 
preceding clause justifies the addition. Both 
clauses mean, the nearer friends are the more 
bitter enemies they make. There is no sufficient 
reason for emending the text as some have done. 
20a is nearly identical with 12 : 14a. (see also 



68 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XIX. 



of his mouth ; and with the increase of his lips 
shall he be filled. 

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue : 
and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 

22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and 
obtaineth favour of the Lord. 

23 The poor useth entreaties ; but the rich an- 
swereth roughly. 

24 A man that hath friends must shew himself 
friendly : and there is a friend that sticketh closer 
than a brother. 

CHAPTE 

1 BETTER is the poor that walketh in his in- 
tegrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a 
fool. 

2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is 
not good ; and he that hasteth with his feet sin- 
neth. 

3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: 
and his heart fretteth against the Lord. 

4 Wealth maketh many friends : but the poor is 
separated from his neighbour. 

5 A false witness shall not be unpunished ; and 
he that speaketh lies shall not escape. 

6 Many will entreat the favour of the prince; 
and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. 



With the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied. 

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue ; 
And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 

22 Whoso fiudeth a wife findeth a good thing, 
And obtaineth favour of the Lord. 

23 The poor useth intreaties : 

But the rich answereth roughly. 

24 He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own 

destruction : 
But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a 
brother. 



R, XIX. 

1 BETTER is the poor that walketh in his in- 

tegrity 

Than he that is perverse in his lips and is a 
fool. 

2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge is not 

good ; 

And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. 

3 The foolishness of man subverteth his way ; 
And his heart fretteth against the Lord. 

4 Wealth addeth many friends : 

But the poor is separated from his friend. 

5 A false witness shall hot be unpunished ; 
And he that uttereth lies shall not escape. 

6 Many will intreat the favour of the liberal man : 
And every man is a friend to him that giveth 

gifts. 



13 : aa.) 21. The verse is similar to 15 : 4; 26 : 

28. (See also Ecclus. 37 : 18 ; 28 : 13 f.) 22. See 

19 : 14b; a is similar to 12 : 4; 31 : 10; and in 
phraseology to 8 : 35; b, see 12 : 2a. Wife, 
goodness is necessarily implied. A good thing, 
better, good fortune. B means that the obtain- 
ing of a good wife is a token of God's favor. 
24. Doeth it to his own destruction, more 
literal and better, is about to be destroyed. 
Friends in general are an injury and not a 
benefit. B teaches that often a true friend is 
more to be depended on than a brother. The 
thought of 27 : 10 is the same ; see also note on 
17 : 17. The verse teaches that quality not 
quantity is to be sought in making friends. 



Chap. 19. 1. 28 : 6 is identical in the 
Hebrew with this verse, except that rich is 
found in place of fool. In order to obtain a 
passable meaning here it has usually been sup- 
posed that " fool " carries with it the implied idea 
of rich. Many have gone further and corrected 
the text here to " rich " on the basis of the other 
passage. That does not seem a sufficient war- 
rant for making the change, however, if any- 
thing simpler will answer the purpose, when it 
is recalled how many of the proverbs are found 
in two forms varying slightly from each other. 
It is better, therefore, to make a simpler change, 
nearly following Chajes, omitting one consonant 
which could easily be a dittogram, and changing 
the vowels of one word, by which a suitable 
meaning is obtained, reading iVp.J-V?, m e '&qqesh, 
for tJ'pJ^D, melqqesh, and omitting ), w', in 
fcSiril, w e hu. The rendering will then be, A 



poor man who walks in his integrity is good (i. e., 
praiseworthy); one (i. e., a poor man) who 
perverts his ways is a fool. For the phraseology, 
see 10 : 9. It might seem that there is no need 
of the special mention of the " poor " in this con- 
nection, the language is really appropriate to 
any one. But it is, after all, especially appro- 
priate when we remember the ideas and the 
teachings of those times. In general, riches 
were regarded as a reward for goodness ; a poor 
man who retains his integrity in spite of the 
lack of this evidence of God's favor was there- 
fore worthy of special praise. On the other 
hand, a poor man might become discouraged 
and give himself up to wickedness ; on this man 
the opposite judgment should be passed. The 
verse is in reality a warning against regarding 
wealth as an infallible indication of God's favor. 
This is not a prominent teaching of Proverbs, 
but there are suggestions of it in several other 
passages. 2a. Of the various renderings offered 
the only one that really gives a good meaning is 
the following : Even desire without knou'ledge is 
not good. " Even " is to be regarded as modifying 
"desire," and desire as used in a good sense, 
meaning zeal. The thought is, even a good thing 
like zeal is not good without knowledge. B. Sin- 
neth, render, misses, i. e., his way, he fails in 
attaining his object by undue haste: this is 
similar to 21 : 5 ; 28 : 20. 3. The thought is, 
men blame God for the results of their own fool- 
ishness. 4. The verse is very similar to 14 : 20 ; 
on a see ver. 6, 7 ; 10 : 15. 5a is identical with 
ver. 9a; b is very similar to ver. 9b. 6b is 
similar to 18 : 16. This verse shows the advan- 



Ch. XIX.] 



PROVERBS 



fi9 



7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him ; how 
much more do his friends go far from him? he 
pursueth tliem with words, yet they are wanting to 
him. 

8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul : 
he that keepeth understanding shall rind good. 

9 A false witness shall not be unpunished ; and 
he that speaketh lies shall perish. 

10 Delight is not seemly for a fool ; much less for 
a servant to have rule over princes. 

11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger ; 
and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 

12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion : 
but his favour is as dew upon the grass. 

13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father ; 
and the contentions of a wife are a continual drop- 
ping. 

1-1 House and riches are the inheritance of fath- 
ers : and a prudent wife is from the Lord. 

15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep ; and an 
idle soul shall suffer hunger. 

16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth 
his own soul ; but he that despiseth his ways shall 
die. 

17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto 
the Lord ; and that which he hath given will he 
pay him again. 

18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let 
not thy soul spare for his crying. 

19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment : 
for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. 

20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that 
thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. 

21 There are many devices in a man's heart ; 
nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord, that shall 
stand. 



tages of liberality, with no necessary implica- 
tion of a corrupt use of gifts. 7c. The only 
allowable translation is, he pursues words, they 
are not. This does not give much meaning in 
itself, and has no connection with the preceding 
or following context. It is probable that this is 
a fragment of a couplet, the remainder of which, 
probably preceding, has been lost and cannot 
be restored. This is favored by the fact that, 
aside from this verse, there is no three-line 
proverb in this whole collection, 10 : 1 to 22 : 16, 
all are two-lined. 8. His own soul, better, 
himself. In ver. 16 the parallelism indicates 
that the same Hebrew word is to be rendered, 
his life. Here there is nothing in the parallel- 
ism or elsewhere to narrow the thought specific- 
ally to life. Loveth himself means, loves his 
own best and highest interests ; see the con- 
trasted expression in 29 : 24a. 9. See note on 
ver. 5. 10. The thought in both clauses is of 
incongruity in the very nature of the case. 11. 
To pass over a transgression is to forgive 
it; see Micah 7 : 18, where the Hebrew phrase 
is the same. 12a is nearly identical with 20 : 
2a. 13b is similar to 27 : 15. Dropping is 
through a leaky roof. 14b is similar to 18 : 22. 
This speaks of a special indication of God's 
favor coming more directly from him than 
wealth. 16. Commandment, this is natu- 
rally of God ; see 13 ; 13. Keepeth his soul, 



7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him : 
How much more do his friends go far from him ! 
He pursueth them with words, but they are gone. 

8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul : 
He that keepeth understanding shall find good. 

9 A false witness shall not be unpunished ; 
And he that uttereth lies shall perish. 

10 Delicate living is not seemly for a fool ; 

Much less for a servant to have rule over 
princes. 

11 The discretion of a man maketh him slow to 

anger ; • 

And it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 

12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion ; 
But his favour is as dew upon the grass. 

13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father : 
And the contentions of a wife are a continual 

dropping. 

14 House and riches are an inheritance from 

fathers : 

But a prudent wife is from the Lord. 

15 Slothfulness easteth into a deep sleep ; 
And the idle soul shall suffer hunger. 

10 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his 
soul : 

But he that is careless of his ways shall die. 

17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto 

the Lord, 

And his good deed will he pay him again. 

18 Chasten thy son, seeing there is hope ; 
And set not thy heart on his destruction. 

19 A man of great wrath shall bear the penalty : 
For if thou deliver him, thou must do it yet 

again. 

20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, 
That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. 

21 There are many devices in a man's heart ; 
But the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. 



render, preserves his life, a meaning indicated 
by the parallelism. The same Hebrew phrase 
occurs in 13 : 3 ; 16 : 17b. 17a is similar in 
thought to 14 : 31b, but stronger ; b, similar in 
thought to 12 : 14. Good is not expressed in 
the Hebrew, but implied in the connection. 18. 
Seeing, render, when, i. e., while he is yet 
young and not hardened in evil. On his de- 
struction, more literal and better, on causing 
him to die. B is often understood as being a 
restriction on a, a warning against severity so 
great that one would kill a son while chastising 
him. But surely such a warning would be un- 
necessary. More natural is the connection of 
thought as follows : a life of sin results in prema- 
ture death ; a son unpunished is sure to live a life 
of sin, therefore, do not refrain from punishing 
him, and so be responsible for his death ; 23 : 13 is 
similar, (see also 29 : 15.) 19. The penalty, 
better, punishment. The word t^J 'y, 'dnlsh, orig- 
inally meantime, but may also be used in general 
for "punishment," which meaning seems more 
suitable here. The thought is not that anger is 
in itself punishable, but it will surely lead to 
acts that are. The natural interpretation of b 
is indicated by the translation of R. V., it is of 
no use to save him once from the consequences 
of his offense, he will surely repeat it. 20. In 
thy latter end. (See job s : 7.) Here the prob- 
able meaning is simply in the future. 21. The 



70 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XIX. 



22 The desire of a man is his kindness : and a 
poor man is better than a liar. 

23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life : and he 
that hath it shall abide satisfied ; he shall not be 
visited with evil. 

24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, 
and will not so much as bring it to his mouth 
again. 

25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware ; 
and reprove one that hath understanding, and he 
will understand knowledge. 

26 He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away 
his mother, is a son that eauseth shame, and bring- 
eth reproach. 

27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that 
eauseth to err from the words of knowledge. 



verse is similar to 16 : 9, 33 ; 20 : 24. 22a is 
difficult, and the meaning is much disputed. A 
suitable meaning, and one that seems to be the 
best, is given by rendering, a desire of a man is 
kindness to him, or more freely, an object of 
desire by men in general is to have kindness 
shown to them. This rendering regards his 
kindness, which is literal, as meaning kindness 
shown to him. B. G. renders, an honest poor 
man is better than a rich liar, supplying two 
adjectives. There is no need of adding them, 
however, especially as it is probable that they 
simply indicate that the reading of the Septua- 
gint is a paraphrase. But they are naturally 
implied in harmony with the general thought of 
Proverbs. No close connection in thought be- 
tween a and b is apparent. 23. This verse in 
English has three lines, but not in the Hebrew, 
b and c making one. A. A similar thought 
is found in 14 : 27a ; 10 : 27a ; the contrasted 
thought in 10 : 27b. Tendeth, better, leads, 
although it is merely supplied. Life means long 
life. B. The subject, as indicated by the words 
supplied in R. V., is the one who fears Jehovah, 
implied in a, as in the similar case of 14 : 26. 
Satisfied, render, full (of years), as in Gen. 
25 : 8, where the Hebrew word is the same, 
sabhe{a)'. Evil, render, disaster, mean- 
ing premature death. The meaning here given 
to the latter part of the verse is not the one 
usually given which renders " satisfied," and 
gives it its ordinary meaning. Against the 
usual interpretation, however, is the fact that it 
is not in harmony with the parallelism. It is 
also not in accordance with the usage of the 
word so rendered. That means primarily satiated 
with food. But various metaphorical meanings 
are much more common. The only case aside 
from this verse where it is used metaphorically 
without being denned by some additional word 
is in Gen. 25 : 8, where it is used as equivalent 



22 The desire of a man is the measure of his kind- 

ness : 

And a poor man is better than a liar. 

23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life : 
And he that hath it shall abide satisfied ; 
He shall not be visited with evil. 

24 The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish, 
And will not so much as bring it to his mouth 

again. 

25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will learn pru- 

dence : 

And reprove one that hath understanding, and 
he will understand knowledge. 

26 He that spoileth his father, and chaseth away 

his mother, 

Is a son that eauseth shame and bringeth re- 
proach. 

27 Cease, my son, to hear instruction 

Only to err from the words of knowledge. 



to the fuller phrase found elsewhere. The 
meaning of that passage is therefore to be 
adopted here, inasmuch as it is appropriate. 
B then expresses the same thought as a in other 
language, the one who fears Jehovah shall live 
to a good old age, he shall not be visited by any 
disaster which will cut him off prematurely. 
24a is identical with 26 : 15a ; b, similar to 26 : 
15b. (See also 15 : 19a.) This is a strong expres- 
sion for laziness. The allusion is to the ancient, 
and even now Oriental, custom of using the 
hands for eating, (see Matt. 26 : 23.) 25. Scorner 
(scoffer), the rendering of A. R. V. is the better. 
The meaning is that the scoffer is incapable of 
profiting by punishment, but the inexperienced 
learns from it. The one started on the way to 
wisdom, however, does not need blows to teach 
him; reproof is sufficient. 26a. Spoileth 
(doeth violence to), the rendering of the A. R. 
V. is the better. B, render, is a son who acts 
shamefully and disgracefully. This assumes 
that a son is given possession of the property 
before the death of his father, otherwise he 
would have no power to act as is here indicated. 
27. The meaning given by the rendering of the 
R. V. is, it is better not to hear, than to hear 
and not to obey. This is possible as a transla- 
tion. It is contrary, however, to the general 
usage of hear in Proverbs, which implies obedi- 
ence as well as hearing. It is also opposed to 
the usual tone of Proverbs, which nowhere else 
recognizes a class of those who hear and do not 
obey. It is therefore generally conceded that 
some change of text is necessary. The change 
of one consonant may be suggested, reading 
rn'JKn, w'shaggdtha, for m'JE/ 1 ?, Ushgdth, 1 which 
gives the rendering for b, and thou errest from 
the words of knowledge. It is conditional in fact, 
but not in form, if thou ceasest — thou wilt err. 
The thought is the danger of losing progress 
once made in wisdom, if a person does not con- 



1 See "American Journal of Semitic Languages," Vol. XIX., p. 54. 



Ch. XX.] 



PROVERBS 



71 



28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment ; and 
the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. 

29 Judgments are prepared for scorners, and 
stripes for the back of fools. 



28 A worthless witness mocketh at judgement : 
And the mouth of the wicked swalloweth in- 
iquity. 

29 Judgements are prepared for scorners, 
And stripes for the back of fools. 



CHAPTER XX. 



1 WINE is a mocker, strong drink is raging ; and 
whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. 

2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion : 
ivliosu provoketh him to anger sinneth against his 
own soul. 

3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife : 
but every fool will be meddling. 

4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the 
cold ; there/ore shall he beg in harvest, and have 
nothing. 

5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water : 
but a man of understanding will draw it out. 

6 Most men will proclaim every one his own 
goodness : but a faithful man who can find ? 

7 The just man walketh in his integrity ; his 
children are blessed after him. 

8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment 
scattereth away all evil with his eyes. 

9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I 
am pure from my sin ? 

10 Divers weights, and divers measures, both of 
them are alike abomination to the Lord. 

LI Even a child is known by his doings, whether 
his work be pure, and whether it be right. 



1 WINE is a mocker, strong drink a brawler ; 
And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise. 

2 The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion : 
He that provoketh him to anger sinneth against 

his own life. 

3 It is an honour for a man to keep aloof from 

strife : 

But every fool will be quarrelling. 

4 The slothful will not plow by reason of the 

winter ; 

Therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have 
nothing. 

5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water ; 
But a man of understanding will draw it out. 

6 Most men will proclaim every one his own kind- 

ness : 

But a faithful man who can find ? 

7 A just man that walketh in his integrity, 
Blessed are his children after him. 

8 A king that sitteth on the throne of judgement 
Scattereth away all evil with his eyes. 

9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, 
I am pure from my sin ? 

10 Divers weights, and divers measures, 

Both of them alike are an abomination to the 
Lord. 

11 Even a child maketh himself known by his 

doings, 

Whether his work be pure, and whether it be 
right. 



tinue to receive instruction. 28b, as well as a, 
probably refers chiefly, perhaps not entirely, to 
a witness. Swalloweth means eagerly re- 
ceives ; the thought of 18 : 8 is similar. The form 
of expression in b, as often, is not quite what 
would be expected from a. The change of one 
letter by Fr., reading y0,bbi{&)', for 
y e bhS,ll&', by which he obtains the meaning 
utters (see 15 : 28), instead of "swalloweth," is 
plausible but unnecessary. 29b is similar to 
10 : 13b; 26 : 3b. 



Chap. 20. 1. Wine, made from grapes ; 
strong drink, a general term, including drinks 
of an intoxicating nature made from various 
kinds of fruits as well as from grapes. Err- 
eth, better, reels, i. e., in drunkenness. 2a is 
similar to 19 : 12a. Sinneth against, better, 
forfeits. 3b. (see note on 6 : He.) 4. By rea- 
son of the winter, render, in autumn, the 
usual time of plowing, [t is simply laziness, 
not cold, that prevents him. Render b, there- 
fore he shall seek in harvest, and there is 
nothing. The rendering beg is improbable 
from the fact that in the joyful season of har- 
vest any kind of beggar would not be apt to go 
empty-handed. The rendering given has also 
the advantage of presenting a thought which 
often appears in Proverbs, viz, a punishment 
which is the natural result of the act. The 



implied object of "seek" is a crop. 5a is 
similar to 18 : 4. 6a. Most men, better, many 
men. B does not mean that he is not to be found, 
but he is rare, as is indicated by the use of the 
same phrase in 31 : 10. 7b. (see u : 26b.) 8a. 
(see 16 : io, 12. ) A king that sitteth . . . scat- 
tereth away, render, A king sits . . . and win- 
nows. " Winnows," the rendering is the same as 
in ver. 26, where the same Hebrew word, ("HID, 
m'zare, is employed in a similar connection. The 
meaning is that a king examines all things and 
separates the true from the false as the grain is 
separated from the chaff. It is of course implied 
that he is a good king. 9. This verse teaches 
the universal prevalence of sin, which is also 
taught in Gen. 6 : 5 ; 1 Kings 8 : 46 ; Eccl. 7 : 20 ; 
Ps. 130 : 3 ; 143 : 2, etc. 10b is identical with 17 : 
15b. For a similar thought see 11 : 1 ; 20 : 23 ; 
Amos 8:5; Deut. 25 : 13-16 ; Ezek. 45 : 10. 
11. Child. The word so translated here, "1 J! J, 
n&'&r, is found in Proverbs in the following 
passages aside from the present one : 1:4; 
7 : 7 ; 22 : 6, 15 ; 23 : 13 ; 29 : 15. In 1 : 4 and 
7 : 7 it plainly means young man, a youth of 
considerable age. In none of the other passages 
is it used of a young child ; he is always old 
enough to receive training. Here render young 
man. Even, better, also, i. e., a young man 
as well as older people. Render b, Whether he 
be pure and whether his conduct be right. This 



72 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XX. 



12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord 
hath made even both of them. 

13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty ; 
open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with 
bread. 

14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer : but 
when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. 

15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies : but 
the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. 

16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger ; 
and take a pledge of him for a strange woman. 

17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man ; but after- 
wards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. 

18 Every purpose is established by counsel ; and 
with good advice make war. 

19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth 
secrets ; therefore meddle not with him that flat- 
tereth with his lips. 

20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his 
lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. 

21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the be- 
ginning ; but the end thereof shall not be blessed. 

22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil : but wait 
on the Lord, and he shall save thee. 

23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the 
Lord ; and a false balance is not good. 

24 Man's goings are of the Lord ; how can a man 
then understand his own way ? 

25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that 
which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry. 



is suggested by the similar phrase in 21 : 8 and 
by the fact that it gives a better meaning, since 
otherwise the clause is almost tautological. 
13a is similar to 6 : 9-11. B. (see 12 : iia.) 
Open thine eyes, awake and go to work, 
antithesis with a. 14. It is naught, it is 
naught (it is bad, it is bad). The rendering 
of A. R. V. is the better. A common practice 
is mentioned, without comment, of depreciating 
what is to be bought and afterward boasting of 
the bargain. 15. For thought see 3 : 14, 15; 
8 : 11. There is, i. e., in one's possession. 
Rubies, render, corals, and see note on 3 : 15. 
B , the thought is that lips which speak knowl- 
edge are more precious than gold and corals. 16. 
The verse is nearly identical with 27 : 13. Some 
would correct this text by that, but it seems un- 
necessary, since variant forms of the same prov- 
erb are so common. Render : Take his gar- 
ment, because he has become surety far a stranger ; 
and hold him in pledge for strangers. It is 
probable that the meaning " stranger" and not 
simply another is to be given here, inasmuch 
as two different words occur in the two clauses. 
It is not necessary to regard strangers here as 
meaning more than those not of one's own 
family. It would then be an admonition against 
practically all suretyship. In a the garment 
pledged is to be taken and in b the man him- 
self is to be kept in pledge. 17a. (See 9 : 17.) 
Bread of falsehood means bread obtained 

by falsehood. B. (See Matt. 7:9; Lam. 3 : 16.) 



12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, 
The Lord hath made even both of them. 

13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty ; 
Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied 

with bread. 

14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer : 

But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. 

15 There is gold, and abundance of rubies : 

But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. 

16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger ; 
And hold him in pledge that is surety for 

strangers. 

17 Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man ; 

But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with 
gravel. 

18 Every purpose is established by counsel : 
And by wise guidance make thou war. 

19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth 

secrets : 

Therefore meddle not with him that openeth 
wide his lips. 

20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, 

His lamp shall be put out in the blackest dark- 
ness. 

21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the be- 

ginning ; 

But the end thereof shall not be blessed. 

22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil : 
Wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee. 

23 Divers weights are an abomination to the Lord ; 
And a false balance is not good. 

24 A man's goings are of the Lord ; 

How then can man understand his way? 

25 It is a snare to a man rashly to say, It is holy, 
And after vows to make inquiry. 



18a, the contrasted thought is found in 15 : 22a. 
(See also 16 : 3b.) B is similar to 24 : 6a. Here 
war is not praised or encouraged, but it is 
recognized as a fact and advice is given con- 
cerning it. 19. For rendering and explana- 
tion, see note on 11 : 13. 20a. See 28 : 24 ; 30 : 
11, 17, and the commands in Exod. 21 : 17 ; 
Lev. 20 : 9 ; Deut. 27 : 16. Or, better, and. 

B. (See 13 : 9; 24 : 20; Job 18 : 5, 6.) In the 

blackest darkness, render, in the middle of 
darkness, as in the similar phrase in 7 : 9. This 
means : at midnight, at the darkest time, when 
no other light is available, it is a thorough 
quenching. In accordance with the general 
meaning of such metaphorical language, see 
note on 13 : 9, the meaning is utter adversity. 
This indicates not necessarily destruction, but 
most complete disaster. 21a is similar to 
28 : 20b, 22a. An inheritance, render, prop- 
erty. It is implied in a that the haste to become 
rich leads to wrong methods. 22a is similar 
in thought to 24 : 29 ; see also 24 : 17 and the 
stronger statement in 25 : 21. 23. The verse is 
similar to ver. 10; 11 : 1. 24a is nearly iden- 
tical with Ps. 37 : 23a, with the omission of one 
word, but b is quite different in the two. So 
far as thought is concerned, either might be an 

allusion tO the Other. (See also 16 : 9; 19 : 21; 

jer. io : 23.) 25. To make inquiry, better, 
to hesitate. The meaning of the verse is doubt- 
ful. Probably it is : a man acts wrongly who 
on the impulse of the moment consecrates a 



Ch. XXI.] 



PROVERBS 



73 



26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bring- 
eth the wheel over them. 

27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, 
searching all the inward parts of the belly. 

28 Mercy and truth preserve the king ; and his 
throne is upholden by mercy. 

29 The glory of young men is their strength ; 
and the beauty of old men is the gray head. 

30 The bluenessof a wound cleauseth away evil : 
so do stripes the inward parts of the belly. 



26 A wise king winnoweth the wicked, 

And bringeth the threshing wheel over them. 

27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, 
Searching all the innermost parts of the belly. 

28 Mercy and truth preserve the king : 
And his throne is upholden by mercy. 

29 The glory of young men is their strength : 
And the beauty of old men is the hoary head. 

30 Stripes that wound cleanse away evil : 

And strokes reach the innermost parts of the 
belly. 



CHAPTEE XXI. 



1 THE king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as 
the rivers of water : he turneth it whithersoever he 
will. 

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes : 
but the Lord pondereth the hearts. 

3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable 
to the Lord than sacrifice. 

4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plow- 
ing of the wicked, is sin. 

5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plen- 
teousness ; but of every one thai, is hasty only to 
want. 

6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a 
vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. 

7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them ; 
because they refuse to do judgment. 

8 The way of man is 1'roward and strange : but as 
for the pure, his work is right. 

9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, 
than with a brawling woman in a wide house. 

10 The soul of the wicked desireth evil : his neigh- 
bour findeth no favour in his eyes. 



1 THE king's heart is in the hand of the Lord as 

the watercourses : 
He turneth it whithersoever he will. 

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes : 
But the Lord weigheth the hearts. 

3 To do justice and judgement 

Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. 

4 An high look, and a proud heart, 
Even the lamp of the wicked, is sin. 

5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plente- 

ousness : 

But every one that is hasty hasteth only to want. 

6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue 

Is a vapour driven to and fro f they that seek them 
seek death. 

7 The violence of the wicked shall sweep them 

away ; 

Because they refuse to do judgement. 

8 The way of him that is laden with guilt is ex- 

ceeding crooked : 
But as for the pure, his work is right. 

9 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, 
Than with a contentious woman in a wide house. 

10 The soul of the wicked desireth evil : 

His neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes. 



thing to God, and, after thus making a vow, 
regrets it, reflects, and hesitates. (See Num. 
30 : 3 r. ; Ecci. 5 : 2, 4, 5. ) 26a is similar to 
ver. 8b. The threshing wheel, (see isa. 
28: 27 r.) 27. The verse means that the spirit 
of man comes from Jehovah (see Gen. 2 : 7), 
and thus is a lamp, searching out the inmost 
recesses of his being. It is a teaching much 
like the modern conception of conscience. 28b. 
Is upholden, render, he upholds. 29b. (see 
16: si.) 30b is elliptical, but it is better to 
make strokes a second subject to a and render, 
and strokes that reach, etc. 



Chap. 21. 1. From the description, water- 
courses are evidently canals, which are turned 
here and there for irrigating purposes, as in 
Egypt. 2. The verse is nearly identical with 
16 : 2. (See 16 : 25 ; 14 : 12.) 3. This teaching 
is the same as that which is such a feature 
of the prophetic doctrine, and is found else- 
where as well. For it see especially Amos 5 : 
22-24 ; Isa. 1 : 11-14 ; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6 : 6- 
8 ; 1 Sam. 15 : 22 ; Ps. 40 : 6 ; 50 : 7-14; 51 : 16, 
17 ; Prov. 21 : 27 ; 15 : 8. 4a is similar to Ps. 

101 : 5. 15. (See 13 : 9 b ; 20 : 20 ; 24 : 20 ; Job 18 : 5, 6 ; 

21:17.) Render, suggested partly by these pas- 
sages : Haughtiness of looks and pride of heart 
(are closely connected) ; the lamp of the wicked 



fails. This involves no change of consonants, 
reading flKOTI, hoteth, for nxt3n, h&ttath. By 
this rendering the connection of a and b is 
not close, as often, but the meaning afforded is 
better than by the usual rendering. 5. B is 
similar especially to 28 : 20b. The connection 
of thought is not close, but is probably the fol- 
lowing. The diligent in a are in b naturally 
contrasted with those who are not content with 
the results simply of diligence, but are anxious 
to become rich quickly by other means. 6. 
They that seek them seek death, render: 
(is) snares of death, following the text of G. 
and V., with a change of one consonant in the 
Hebrew, reading , U'pl3, moq e she, for "iJ'pDp, 
m'bh&q'she. The meaning thus afforded is a 
natural one, as it is not in MT. The meaning 
is: the acquisition of property by lying is first 
an unsubstantial process, second a deadly one. 
8b. (see 20 :iib.) 9. Practically identical with 
25 : 24 ; 21 : 19 is very similar, see also 19 : 13 ; 
27 : 15. On a see Ps. 102 : 7. B is literally : 
Than a contentious woman and a house in com- 
mon. A suggests simply solitude, not danger or 
discomfort, as some have thought. The house- 
top was a common place of resort at times. B 
suggests the worst form of uncongenial compan- 
ionship. Woman would naturally be the wife 
or relative, probably wife. The thought of the 



74 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XXI. 



11 When the scorner is punished, the simple is 
made wise : and when the wise is instructed, he 
receiveth knowledge. 

12 The righteous man wisely considereth the 
house of the wicked : but God overthroweth the 
wicked for their wickedness. 

13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, 
he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. 

14 A gift in secret pacifieth auger : and a reward 
in the bosom strong wrath. 

15 It is joy to the just to do judgment: but de- 
struction shall be to the workers of iniquity. 

16 The man that wandereth out of the way of 
understanding shall remain in the congregation of 
the dead. 

17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man : 
he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. 

18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, 
and the transgressor for the upright. 

19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than 
with a contentious and an angry woman. 

20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the 
dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth 
it up. 

21 He that followeth after righteousness and 
mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. 



verse is : solitude is better than uncongenial 
companionship. 11. The verse is similar to 19 : 
25. 12. The righteous man . . . how the 
wicked are overthrown, render: The right- 
eous one . . . he overthrows the wicked, etc. The 
"righteous one," p'^Vi caddlq, is God, as in 
Job 34 : 17. This gives a natural meaning to 
the verse, which is almost unmeaning in the 
ordinary renderings. The thought is similar to 
that of 22 : 12b. 13. Heard, literally and 
better, answered. 14. The verse is similar to 
17 : 23. Here, as in that passage, the reference 
is to bribes, as is indicated by the phrases de- 
noting secrecy: in secret and in the bosom. 
It is also indicated by the word in b trans- 
lated present, which generally means bribe, 
and should be so rendered here. The verse 
refers to the practice of bribery, speaking of it 
simply as a fact, without expressing a judgment 
upon it. 15. Render b with A. V. ; the paral- 
lelism favors R. V., but the meaning thus 
afforded is forced. 16. Rest is apparently 
simply equivalent to dwell. The thought is, as 
elsewhere, premature death is the punishment 
of sin. 17. Pleasure means especially feast- 
ing, as is indicated by the use of the word else- 
where, and by the parallelism here. Oil was 
used for anointing in preparation for a feast. 
The verse is a warning against self-indulgence. 
18. This verse might seem to mean that God 
punishes the wicked for the sins of the righteous. 
This would be an unexampled teaching, how- 
ever. The difficulty comes from the figurative 
use of the word ransom. The word literally 
means that which is paid as a means of deliver- 
ance from disaster, often from death. Used 
figuratively, its meaning would be similar, a 



11 When the scorner is punished, the simple is 

made wise : 

And when the wise is instructed, he receiveth 
knowledge. 

12 The righteous man considereth the house of the 

wicked ; 

How the wicked are overthrown to their ruin. 

13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, 
He also shall cry, but shall not be heard. 

14 A gift in secret pacifieth anger, 

And a present in the bosom strong wrath. 

15 It is joy to the righteous to do judgement ; 

But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity. 

16 The man that wandereth out of the way of un- 

derstanding 
Shall rest in the congregation of the dead. 

17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man : 
He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. 

18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous ; 
And the treacherous cometh instead of the up- 
right. 

19 It is better to dwell in a desert land, 

Than with a contentious and fretful woman. 

20 There is precious treasure and oil in the dwel- 

ling of the wise ; 
But a foolish man swalloweth it up. 

21 He that followeth after righteousness and mercy 
Findeth life, righteousness, and honour. 



means of deliverance. The fact in mind, evi- 
dently, is that the righteous are sometimes in 
difficulties, but they are soon delivered from 
them, and the wicked experience them. In 
such a case the wicked may be described, from 
the standpoint of experience, as being a means 
of deliverance for the righteous. That this is 
an observation founded thus upon experience, 
and using popular phraseology, and not a theo- 
logical formula, is evident from the fact that the 
uniform teaching of Proverbs is that afflictions 
upon the righteous must, in the nature of the 
case, be temporary. Punishments really belong 
to the wicked, not to the righteous. This is, 
then, only a stronger statement of the same 
thought as is found in 11 : 8. See note on that 
passage. For a similar figurative use of ransom, 
see Isa. 43 : 3. In the stead of, better: in 
place of. 19. Desert, better, wilderness. The 
general thought is the same as in ver. 9. 20. 
Oil is simply one specification added to the 
general statement precious treasure. It in 
b evidently refers to the general idea of " pre- 
cious treasure and oil." Most interpreters sup- 
pose that it refers to the specific treasure men- 
tioned in a, that in a given case a wise man 
stores up property and a foolish man spends it. 
This seems unnecessary. The frequent looseness 
of syntactical usage in Proverbs allows the gen- 
eral meaning for b, which is more suitable: a 
foolish man who has wealth wastes. The verse 
then teaches : a wise man saves, a fool wastes. 
21. If righteousness in b, Hj^lV, fdhaqa, is 
genuine, it must have a different meaning from 
the same word in a. It is probably best, however, 
to omit it in b, following most manuscripts of 
G., and regard it as a scribal insertion from a. 



Ch. XXII.] 



PEOVERBS 



75 



22 A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, 
and casteth down the strength of the confidence 
thereof. 

23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue 
keepeth his soul from troubles. 

24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who 
dealeth in proud wrath. 

25 The desire of the slothful killeth him ; for his 
hands refuse to labour. 

26 He coveteth greedily all the day long : but the 
righteous giveth and spareth not. 

27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination : 
how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked 
mind? 

28 A false witness shall perish : but the man that 
heareth speaketh constantly. 

29 A wicked man hardeneth his face : but as for 
the upright, he directeth his way. 

30 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor 
counsel against the Lord. 

31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle : 
but safety is of the Lord. 



22 A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, 
And bringeth down the strength of the confi- 
dence thereof. 

23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue 
Keepeth his soul from troubles. 

24 The proud and haughty man, scorner is his 

name, 

He worketh in the arrogance of pride. 

25 The desire of the slothful killeth him ; 
For his hands refuse to labour. 

26 There is that coveteth greedily all the day long : 
But the righteous giveth and withholdeth not. 

27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination : 
How much more, when he bringeth it with a 

wicked mind ! 

28 A false witness shall perish : 

But the man that heareth shall speak unchal- 
lenged. 

29 A wicked man hardeneth his face : 

But as for the upright, he ordereth his ways. 

30 There is no wisdom nor understanding 
Nor counsel against the Lord. 

31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle : 
But victory is of the Lord. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



1 A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great 
riches, and loving favour rather than silver and 
gold. 

2 The rich and poor meet together : the Lord is 
the maker of them all. 

3 A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth 
himself : but the simple pass on, and are punished. 

4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, 
and honour, and life. 

5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the fro- 
ward : he that doth keep his soul shall be far from 
them. 



1 A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great 

riches. 

And loving favour rather than silver and gold. 

2 The rich and the poor meet together : 
The Lord is the maker of them all. 

3 A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth him- 

self : 

But the simple pass on, and suffer for it. 

4 The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord 
Is riches, and honour, and life. 

5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward : 
He that keepeth his soul shall be far from them. 



23. The verse is similar to 13 : 3 ; 18 : 21. His 
soul, better, himself. 24. The meaning of a 
is: a proud and haughty man is named scoffer; 
it is a definition of the word scoffer. Scorner 
(scoffer), the rendering of A. R. V. is the bet- 
ter. 25. The desire is of course a desire 
for ease. Refuse, better, have refused. 26. 
There is that means : there are those who, 
i. e., the wicked, the implied subject. The 
contrast is this : the wicked are covetous, the 
righteous liberal. 27a is nearly identical with 
15 : 8a. It is an abomination, because under the 
best of circumstances it is purely formal. B. 
With a wicked mind,better,/oracrtme, i. e., 
as equivalent for, as compensation for a crime. 
28a is similar to 19 : 5a, 9a. B. Render : But a 
man who hears shall speak truthfully. The ren- 
dering " truthfully " is confirmed by S. and T., 
and by the usage of the Hebrew word, n¥ J, nec&h, 
in Job 23 : 7 ; Lam. 3 : 18. B is not an exact 
counterpart to a, but says that a man who sim- 
ply reports what he has heard will speak truth- 
fully. This seems to be the best view of this 
difficult verse, although it is possible that the 
text may be corrupt. 29b. A different reading 
of the Hebrew, that of the Q e re , may preferably 
be followed, so as to render : But as for the up- 
right, he considers his way, i. e., he so considers it 
as to do right, while in a is stated the unblushing 



boldness of the wicked in following his own will 
when, as regularly, it is wrong. 30. Against, 
better: over against, i. e., in comparison with, 
practically the same as without. 31. A. The 
horse regularly in the Old Testament was the 
animal for war, not for ordinary peaceful uses, 
and is so spoken of here. B. Is of the Lord 
(Jehovah), more literally: belongs to Jehovah, 
and so may be given to whomsoever he chooses. 



Chap. 22. la. Good is not expressed, but 
is naturally implied. B. Render: And favor 
is better than silver and gold. 2. The verse is 
similar to 29 : 13. The thought is: men know 
distinctions among themselves, God does not 
recognize them, but regards men as equal. (See 
job 34 : 19.) 3. The verse is identical in thought 
and nearly in form with 27 : 12. Suffer for it, 
better : are punished. This verse contrasts a 
wise prudence with fool hardiness. 4. In 3 : 
16 and 8 : 18a these rewards are mentioned as 
coming from wisdom. It is one of many pas- 
sages showing the close connection between wis- 
dom and the fear of Jehovah. 5a. (see Job is : 
e-io.) B. Soul, the word in the same phrase 
means life in 13 : 3 ; 16 : 17 ; 19 : 16. Here, how- 
ever, the connection is different, so that that 
meaning seems inappropriate. It is best to ren- 
der it, himself. He that keepeth himself means : 



76 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XXII. 



6 Train up a child in the way he should go : and 
when he is old, he will not depart from it. 

7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower 
is servant to the lender. 

8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity : and 
the rod of his anger shall fail. 

9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed ; 
for he giveth of his bread to the poor. 

10 Cast out the seorner, and contention shall go 
out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease. 

11 He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace 
of his lips the king shall be his friend. 

12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, and 
he overthroweth the words of the transgressor. 

13 The slothful man saith, 'lhere is a lion without, 
I shall be slain in the streets. 

14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit : he 
that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein. 

15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child ; 
but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. 

16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his 
riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely 
come to want. 



he who has Self-COntrol. (See also note on 19 : 8.) 

6. Child, (see note on 20 : a.) In the way 
he should go. This rendering means, in the 
right way. In order to obtain that meaning the 
word right should be expressed in the Hebrew- 
text, as it is not. The literal rendering is : ac- 
cording to his way, which can hardly mean any- 
thing but according to his future course in life, 
his trade or occupation. This rendering, as well 
as the usual one, emphasizes the permanence of 
early teaching, although without an ethical ref- 
erence. 7. Servant, literally, slave. It is not 
necessary to suppose, however, that the refer- 
ence is to actual servitude for debt, which was 
probably not very common, but to exactions 
and inconveniences which the debtor is obliged 
to endure from the creditor, which amount prac- 
tically to slavery. 8. The verse is similar to 6 : 
12a ; see note there. The rod of his wrath 
means the rod by which he has been accustomed 
to manifest his wrath in injury to others. 9. A 
bountiful eye, render: a benevolent look; see 
the opposite expression in 23 : 6; 28 : 22. B. 
Giveth, render : has given. The meaning is 
that the benevolent look is an indication not 
only of benevolent intention, but of benevolent 
activity. 10. The verse is conditional in fact, 
but not in form. Strife, p^, din, render law- 
suits, the regular meaning elsewhere, from which 
there seems no reason to depart here. 11. The 
verse can only be rendered naturally: He who 
loves the pure of heart, whose lips are grace, a 
king is his friend. The thought is : purity of 
heart and gracefulness of speech characterize a 
friend of a king. 12. Preserve him that hath 
knowledge, render : preserve knowledge. This 
nntorally means, as Fr. says, they continually 



6 Train up a child in the way he should go, 

And even when he is old he will not depart 
from it. 

7 The rich ruleth over the poor, 

And the borrower is servant to the lender. 

8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap calamity : 
And the rod of his wrath shall fail. 

9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed ; 
For he giveth of his bread to the poor. 

10 Cast out the seorner, and contention shall go out ; 
Yea, strife and ignominy shall cease. 

11 He that loveth pureness of heart, 

For the grace of his lips the king shall be his 
friend. 

12 The eyes of the Lord preserve him that hath 

knowledge, 

But he overthroweth the words of the treacher- 
ous man. 

13 The sluggard saith, There is a lion without : 
I shall be murdered in the streets. 

14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit : 

He that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein. 

15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child ; 
But the rod of correction shall drive it far from 

him. 

16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his gain, 
And he that giveth to the rich, cometh only to 

want. 



know or observe, nothing escapes the eyes of 
Jehovah. A indicates, therefore, the wide ob- 
servation, the omniscience of Jehovah. B then 
gives one result of a, one consequence of this 
knowledge. But, render, and. 13. Mur- 
dered (slain), the rendering of the A. R. V. is 
the better, since it does not bring in an addi- 
tional idea, but refers to the agency of the lion 
mentioned in a ; see the similar verse, 26 : 13. 
A lion in the streets of a city would be almost 
unexampled ; the verse shows the slight excuse 
which serves a sluggard for inactivity. See 15 : 
19, where, on the other hand, the difficulties are 
real. 14a is similar to 23 : 27. Mouth refers 
to the enticing speech wdiich is mentioned in 
other places. Strange women, (see note on 
2:16.) B. Render: He with lohom Jehovah is 
angry shall fall therein. 15a. The statement 
as usually rendered is stronger than is elsewhere 
made, and stronger than the facts really warrant. 
Hence it is better to regard it as conditional in 
fact but not in form : if (in a given case) fool- 
ishness . . . the rod, etc. Child. (See note on 20 : 

ii ) Omit but in b. 16. Many have suspected the 
text, not unnaturally, for the current interpre- 
tations give little meaning. The difficulty seems 
to be that it is commonly assumed that the object 
to be supplied in a is that supplied in R. V., 
gain, or something similar. But more natu- 
rally it would be the word suggested just before, 
viz, poverty. Then the rendering of a would 
be : He that oppresses the poor (tends) to increase 
(poverty) for himself. He that giveth to the 
rich means one who seeks to prosper by curry- 
ing favor with the rich. Thus the thought of 
the verse is : both the oppressor of the poor, and 
the one seeking the favor of the rich come to 



Ch. XXIII.] 



PKO VERBS 



77 



17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the 
wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. 

18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them 
within thee ; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. 

19 That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have 
made known to thee this day, even to thee. 

20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in 
counsels and knowledge, 

21 That I might make thee know the certainty of 
the words of truth ; that thou mightest answer the 
words of truth to them that send unto thee? 

22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor : neither 
oppress the afflicted in the gate : 

23 For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil 
the soul of those that spoiled them. 

24 Make no friendship with an angry man ; and 
with a furious man thou shalt not go : 

25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to 
thy soul. 

26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or 
of them that are sureties for debts. 

27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he 
take away thy bed from under thee ? 

28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy 
fathers have set. 

29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he 
shall staud before kings ; he shall not stand before 
mean men. 



17 Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the 

wise, 

And apply thine heart unto my knowledge. 

18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them 

within thee, 
If they be established together upon thy lips. 

19 That thy trust may be in the Lord, 

I have made them known to thee this day, even 
to thee. 

20 Have not I written unto thee excellent things 
Of counsels and knowledge ; 

21 To make thee know the certainty of the words 

of truth, 

That thou mayest carry back words of truth to 
them that send thee? 

22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor. 
Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate : 

23 For the Lord will plead their cause, 

And despoil of life those that despoil them. 

24 Make no friendship with a man that is given to 

anger ; 

And with a wrathful man thou shalt not go : 

25 Lest thou learn his ways, 
And get a snare to thy soul. 

26 Be thou not one of them that strike hands, 
Or of them that are sureties for debts : 

27 If thou hast not wherewith to pay, 

Why should he take away thy bed from undeF 
thee? 

28 Remove not the ancient landmark, 
Which thy fathers have set. 

29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? hp 

shall stand before kings ; 
He shall not stand before mean men. 



CHAPTER XXIII 



1 WHEN thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider 
diligently what is before thee : 

2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man 
given to appetite. 



1 WHEN thou sittest to eat with a ruler, 
Consider diligently him that is before thee; 

2 And put a knife to thy throat, 

If thou be a man given to appetite. 



poverty. A is understood by S. and T. in the 
way here translated. 

For a discussion of the division of the book 
beginning with ver. 17, see the Introduction. 
Ver. 17-21 are an introduction to this division, 
22 : 17 to 24 : 22. 17. It gives the best meaning 
to put part of ver. 18 with ver. 17, following G. 
in the division of the verses. They would then 
be rendered : . . . unto my knowledge, for it is 
pleasant. 18. When thou keepest them within 
thee, they shall be established together upon thy 
lips. Ver. 17 indicates that the writer is purpos- 
ing to teach young men, teaching which he has 
made his own, but which is compiled from the 
woi-ds of the wise. Ver. 18 indicates that if these 
words are received in the heart they will find 
expression upon the lips. 20. Render: Bo I 
not write for thee, etc., a rhetorical question. 
Proverbs usually adopts the tone of oral instruc- 
tion, here of written as well. Of, render with, 
i. e., accompanied by. 21. To them that 
send thee, render as singular: to him that 
sends thee, i. e., the father or guardian of the 
scholar. 22. Because he is poor is given 
as a reason, not for the injunction here given, 
but for the common prevalence of the practice 
of robbing the poor, i. e., because, as poor, he 



is helpless, unable to defend himself from rob- 
bery. Oppress is literally crush. A form of 
the same phrase, crush in the gate, is found 
in Job 5:4. B refers to those who come to the 
place of justice in the gate seeking relief. 23a 
is similar to 23 : 11. The verse is similar in 
spirit to Exod. 22 : 21-23 ; Ps. 68 : 5 ; 146 : 9. 

24. (See 15 : 18 ; 29 : 22.) 26, 27. (See note on 6 : 1-5.) 

28a is identical with 23 : 10a. The verse is simi- 
lar to part Of Deut. 19 : 14. (See also Deut. 27 : 17 ; 

hos. 5 : io; job 24 : 2.) 29. Diligent; render, 
skillful. It is best to regard the sentence as a 
virtual condition, if thou seest, etc., as in 26 : 12 ; 
29 : 20. Stand before means, serve, enter the 
service of. The verse teaches that efficient work 
will not go unrewarded. 



Chap. 23. 2. Of the various renderings 
proposed that of the R. V. is the best. Then a 
is to be regarded as an admonition to self- 
restraint. It is in harmony with this that the 
following verses show the need of self-restraint, 
because the food is liable to be a source of 
temptation and blind the judgment. The ren- 
dering, and thou hast put, etc., i. e., thou hast 
brought thyself into danger of death, is not so 
good because the statement would be extreme. 



78 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XXIII. 



3 Be not desirous of his dainties : for they are de- 
ceitful meat. 

4 Labour not to be rich : cease from thine own 
wisdom. 

5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is 
not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; 
they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. 

6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil 
eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats : 

7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat 
and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not 
with thee. 

8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou 
vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. 

9 Speak not in the ears of a fool : for he will de- 
spise the wisdom of thy words. 

10 Remove not the old landmark ; and enter not 
into the fields of the fatherless : 

11 For their redeemer is mighty ; he shall plead 
their cause with thee. 

12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine 
ears to the words of knowledge. 

13 Withhold not correction from the child : for ;/ 
thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 

14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt 
deliver his soul from hell. 

15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall 
rejoice, even mine. 

16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips 
speak right things. 

17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou 
in the fear of the Lord all the day long. 

18 For surely there is an end ; and thine expec- 
tation shall not be cut off. 



3. This verse does not^express the same thought 
as ver. 2, but the additional thought that such 
an invitation to be a guest is not from benev- 
olence, as one might think, but belongs to a 
plan for his own advantage. 4b. Render, 
Cease from thine understanding. The clause is 
elliptical, but evidently means, cease from mak- 
ing use of thine understanding in an undue 
endeavor to become rich. 5. Render, Do thine 
eyes fly upon it f it is not ; for it certainly 
makes for itself wings, etc. " It " in each case 
means wealth, not stated, but implied in ver. 4. 
" Fly" in a means look, an unusual expression, 
but sufficiently intelligible to make emendation 
unnecessary. The verse expresses the fleeting 
nature of wealth. 6. An evil eye means a 
malevolent look. (See 22 : 9.) 7. Render, nearly 
with Fr., For when he has reckoned within him- 
self, then he says to thee : Eat and drink, etc. 
This gives the best meaning, and the difficulties 
in the Hebrew syntax are not insuperable. The 
meaning is, his invitation is the result of calcu- 
lation, not the spontaneous expression of his 
heart- 8a means, the food will not prove appe- 
tizing under these circumstances. In b the 
words are the words of thanks for the invita- 
tion. 9. In the hearing of, better literally, 
In the ears of. It does not mean, as the render- 
ing of R. V. would imply, do not speak so that 



3 Be not desirous of his dainties ; 
Seeing they are deceitful meat. 

4 Weary not thyself to be rich ; 
Cease from thine own wisdom. 

5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is 

not? 

For riches certainly make themselves wings, 
Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven. 

6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil 

eye, 

Neither desire thou his dainties : 

7 For as he reckoneth within himself, so is he : 
Eat and drink, saith he to thee ; 

But his heart is not with thee. 

8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou 

vomit up, 
And lose thy sweet words. 

9 Speak not in the hearing of a fool ; 

For he will despise the wisdom of thy words. 

10 Remove not the ancient landmark ; 

And enter not into the fields of the fatherless : 

11 For their redeemer is strong ; 

He shall plead their cause against thee. 

12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, 

And thine ears to the words of knowledge. 

13 Withhold not correction from the child: 

For if thou beat him with the rod, he shall not 
die. 

14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, 
And shalt deliver his soul from Sheol. 

15 My son, if thine heart be wise, 

My heart shall be glad, even mine : 

16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, 
When thy lips speak right things. 

17 Let not thine heart envy sinners : 

But be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day 
long : 

18 For surely there is a reward ; 
And thy hope shall not be cut off. 



a fool can hear you, but do not speak directly 
to him. 10a is identical with 22 : 28a. 11. 
Redeemer. This word is applied to God also 
in Job 19 : 25. This is the word which desig- 
nates the next of kin, whose duty it was to 
avenge bloodshed, redeem property, etc. For 
his duties in reference to land, see Lev. 25 : 25. 
13, 14. See note on 19 : 18 ; here the thought is 
similar. Ver. 14 especially shows plainly that 
the thought of both verses is, a child unpunished 
will go in evil ways, the punishment of which 
is premature death. Therefore punish him and 
save him from death. Child. (See note on so : 11.) 
Render ver. 14, Bo thou beat . . . and thou 
shalt. 15, 16. The thought of the two verses is 
very similar. Ver. 15 speaks of wisdom in the 
mind ; ver. 16, in the speech, the expression of 
the other. 15. Heart, in a, render, mind. In 
b the word means the seat of the emotions. 16. 
Reins (heart), the rendering of A. R. V. is 
the better; the meaning is the same as of 
"heart" in 15b. 18. The verse is nearly iden- 
tical with 24 : 14b and c. Reward, better, 
future. Hope is chiefly of long life. The 
meaning is general ; in the time of prosperity 
of sinners the righteous can hope for better 
things in the future, and the hope will not be 
disappointed. The reference is thus chiefly to 
this life, although the future life is not excluded. 



Ch. XXIII. ] 



PEOVERBS 



79 



19 Hear thou, my sou, aud be wise, and guide 
thine heart iu the way. 

20 Be not among winebibbers ; among riotous 
eaters of flesh : 

21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come 
to poverty : and drowsiness shall clothe a man 
with rags. 

22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and 
despise not thy mother when she is old. 

23 Buy the truth, and sell it not ; also wisdom, 
and instruction, and understanding. 

24 The father of the righteous shall greatly re- 
joice : and he that begetteth a wise child shall have 
joy of him. 

25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and 
she that bare thee shall rejoice. 

26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine 
eyes observe my ways. 

27 For a whore is a deep ditch ; and a strange 
woman is a narrow pit. 

28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and in- 
creased the transgressors among men. 

29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath 
contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds 
without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 

30 They that tarry long at the wine ; they that go 
to seek mixed wine. 

31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, 
when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth 
itself aright. 

32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and sting- 
eth like an adder. 

33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and 
thine heart shall utter perverse things. 

34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the 
midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of 
a mast. 

35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I 



(See 14 : 32, and note on 11 : 7.) 19. The Way 

is elliptical for the right way, so often men- 
tioned in Proverbs. 20. Among in both 
clauses means one of. 22. The thought of the 
verse is chiefly an admonition to heed the ad- 
vice of parents. But it is also intended to in- 
culcate respect for them in general, as appears 
from b. 25. This verse is the conclusion of 
ver. 24 ; the meaning is, be wise so that thy 
parents may rejoice. 26. Heart, better, mind, 
with the idea of careful attention, which is in 
harmony with the parallelism. This is not 
a statement attributed to wisdom, but is by 
the author. 27a is similar to 22 : 14. A 

Strange AVOman. (See note on 2 : 16.) 28. 

Lieth in wait, as in 7 : 12. In ver. 27 the 
danger is passive; in ver. 28 it is active. B. 
This is because those who follow her would in- 
evitably be false to some other interests. 29. 
This comes in appropriately here, since the 
temptations from wine and from dissolute women 
are often connected. Redness probably should 
be dullness, heaviness. Wounds without 
cause. Drunken men notoriously fight with- 
out any real reason. 30. On a see Isa. 5 : 

11. Mixed Wine. (See note on 9 : 2.) 31c 

should be joined to ver. 32, rendering, It goes 



19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, 
And guide thine heart in the way. 

20 Be not among winebibbers ; 
Among gluttonous eaters of flesh : 

21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to 

poverty : 

And drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. 

22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, 
And despise not thy mother when she is old. 

23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; 

Yea, wisdom, and instructiou, and understand- 
ing. 

24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice : 
And he that begetteth a wise child shall have 

joy of him. 

25 Let thy father and thy mother be glad. 
And let her that bare thee rejoice. 

26 My son, give me thine heart, 

And let thine eyes delight in my ways. 

27 For a whore is a deep ditch ; 

And a strange woman is a narrow pit. 

28 Yea, she lieth in wait as a robber, 

And increaseth the treacherous among men. 

29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath 

contentions ? 

Who hath complaining? who hath wounds with- 
out cause ? 

Who hath redness of eyes? 

30 They that tarry long at the wine ; 
They that go to seek out mixed wine. 

31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, 
When it giveth its colour in the cup, 
When it goeth down smoothly : 

32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, 
And stingetn like an adder. 

33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, 
And thine heart shall utter froward things. 

34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the 

midst of the sea, 
Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. 

35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was 

not hurt ; 



down smoothly (i. e., at the first), (but) at the 
last, etc. 32. Adder. The Hebrew word 
means a serpent that was especially poisonous, 
but the kind is uncertain. 33. The verse refers 
to the distortion of the senses and the mind 
through drunkenness. 34. This verse nat- 
urally continues ver. 33. The sensations of the 
drunken man are compared to the sensations of 
one on a sea voyage. There is no reference in the 
comparison to the thought of danger. In the 
midst of the sea does not mean at the bottom of 
the sea, as some have supposed, but simply on the 
high sea, in a vessel of some kind. A mast. The 
meaning of the Hebrew word, ban, Mbbel, is 
uncertain, but more probably it is rope. Upon 
the top of a rope means on a heap of rope ; this 
is mentioned merely as a part of the furnishing 
of the vessel, and so gives simply a little more 
specific phrase for the general idea at sea. In 
connection with this verse it should be remem- 
bered that in the Old Testament generally the sea 
is regarded as something terrible. So a sea voy- 
age is necessarily an uncomfortable thing, the 
thought of seasickness no doubt being present, 
although it is not specifically mentioned in this 
description. 35. This verse describes the 
drunkard beginning to awake to consciousness. 



80 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XXIV. 



was not sick ; they have beaten me, and I felt it I 
not : when shall I awake ? I will seek it yet again. 

CHAPTE 

1 BE not thou envious against evil men, neither 
desire to be with them. 

2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their 
lips talk of mischief. 

3 Through wisdom is an house builded ; and by 
understanding it is established : 

4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled 
with all precious and pleasant riches. 

5 A wise man is strong ; yea, a man of knowledge 
increaseth strength. 

6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war : 
and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. 

7 Wisdom is too high for a fool : he openeth not 
his mouth in the gate. 

8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a 
mischievous person. 

9 The thought of foolishness is sin : and the 
scorner is an abomination to men. 

10 Jf thou faint in the day of adversity, thy 
strength is small. 

11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn 
unto death, and those that are ready to be slain ; 

12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not ; doth 
not he that pondereth the heart consider it! and 
he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know Uf and 
shall not he render to every man according to his 
works ? 



He observes his injuries but makes light of them 
because he was not conscious of pain when they 
were inflicted. He desires to become fully 
awake in order that he may again seek wine. 
The implied antecedent for it is naturally 
wine. In ver. 29-35 there is an evident warn- 
ing against drunkenness. These verses give a 
description of many of the experiences of the 
drunken, and in such a way that the folly of 
drunkenness is manifest. 



Chap. 24. la. A better rendering is, Do 
not thou envy evil men. The Hebrew form of 
expression is the same as in 23 : 17. 3. The 
verse is similar to 14 : la. It is not probable 
that ver. 3, 4 were intended to form a distinct 
contrast to ver. 1 , 2, as some have thought. 3,4. 
Through . . . by . . . by. The Hebrew form 
of expression is the same in all, designating 
instrument, by means of. 5. Increaseth. 
Hebrew idiom suggests that this should be ren- 
dered shows. B is not intended to be a stronger 
statement than a, but to express substantially 
the same idea. 6a is similar to 20 : 18b ; b 
is identical with 11 : 14b. (see also 15 : 22.) 7. 
The usual rendering of b seems out of harmony 
with many other statements of Proverbs con- 
cerning the garrulity of fools. Even in the 
gate, i. e., in the conversation of the wise, he 
might be expected to intrude. It is more in ac- 
cordance with the facts, therefore, to give an- 
other rendering, which is to be preferred ; in- 



They have beaten me, and I felt it not : 
I When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again. 

R XXI V . 

1 BE not thou envious against evil men, 
Neither desire to be with them : 

2 For their heart studieth oppression, 
And their lips talk of mischief. 

3 Through wisdom is an house builded ; 
And by understanding it is established : 

4 And by knowledge are the chambers filled 
With all precious and pleasant riches. 

5 A wise man is strong ; 
Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth might. 

6 For by wise guidance thou shalt make thy war : 
And in the multitude of counsellors there is 

safety. 

7 Wisdom is too high for a fool : 
He openeth not his mouth in the gate. 

8 He that deviseth to do evil, 
Men shall call him a mischievous person. 

9 The thought of the foolish is sin : 
And the scorner is an abomination to men. 

10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, 
Thy strength is small. 

11 Deliver them that are carried away unto death, 
And those that are ready to be slain see that 

thou hold back. 

12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this : 
Doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it ? 
And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know 

it? 

And shall not he render to every man according 
to his work ? 



stead of He openeth not, He may not open. 
The meaning then is not that he keeps silent of 
his own accord, but that he is not allowed to in- 
terfere with the deliberations of the wise, because 
they are beyond his comprehension. 9. Render 
a, A plan of folly (i. e., a foolish plan) is sin, 
a statement concerning the moral quality of 
folly. 10. The only natural rendering is, If 
thou art indolent, in the day of adversity thy 
strength mil be small. It is a statement of a 
natural result of indolence, viz, lack of strength 
in the day of adversity. 11. To explain this 
verse as referring simply to the victims of op- 
pression is too weak for the strong language 
used. It must refer to those condemned to death, 
and of course by implication unjustly. The 
usual rendering of b presupposes a syntactical 
usage for which there are only a few examples, 
and those not entirely parallel. It involves less 
difficulty, therefore, and also gives a better mean- 
ing, to make a new division of verses, ending 
ver. 11 with slain, and then render, If thou 
restrainest (thyself), because thou sayest, Behold 
now we do not knowthis; . . . and he will render, 
etc. The thought is, if you refrain from inter- 
fering in a capital case where injustice is being 
done, and attempt to justify yourselves by say- 
ing we do not know all about it, it may be all 
right ; then be sure that God knows all about it, 
and he holds men accountable. The teaching is, 
therefore, that one must be very particular to 
find out and right injustice, and not attempt to 



Ch. XXIV.] 



PROVERBS 



81 



13 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good ; 
and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste : 

14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy 
soul : when thou hast found it, then there shall be 
a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off. 

15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwell- 
ing of the righteous ; spoil not his resting place : 

16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth 
up again : but the wicked shall fall into mischief. 

17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let 
not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth : 

18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and 
he turn away his wrath from him. 

19 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither 
be thou envious at the wicked ; 

20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; 
the candle of the wicked shall be put out. 

21 My son, fear thou the Lord and the king : and 
meddle not with them that are given to change : 

22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly ; and 
who knoweth the ruin of them both? 

23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not 
good to have respect of persons in judgment. 

24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art right- 
eous; him shall the people curse, nations shall 
abhor him: 



hide behind any plea of ignorance. 13 b, ren- 
der, and honeycomb is sweet to thy taste. 14b 
and c are nearly identical with 23 : 18. A, 
render, So know wisdom to be, etc. Reward, 
render, future, as in 23 : 18, and see note there 
for the meaning. A speaks of the pleasantness 
of wisdom, having reference to ver. 13 ; b and 
c give another related thought, its profitable- 
ness. 16. This verse gives a reason for the 
admonition of ver. 15, indicating that the 
acts there mentioned are not only sinful, but 
foolish, because unavailing. 17. In several pas- 
sages Proverbs sets up a high standard for the 
treatment of enemies, so especially here, and 
in 25 : 21 ; see also 20 : 22, and 24 : 29. 18. 
The Lord see it is subordinate in fact 
but not in form, lest being intended to be 
connected especially with displease. The 
thought is, lest when Jehovah sees it, it dis- 
please him. B. Some have thought that the 
meaning is that Jehovah would cease to punish 
the man simply because of the rejoicing over 
his punishment. But that is not only a trivial 
thought, but also a superficial one, which there- 
fore can hardly be the true interpretation. It is 
more likely that the intention is to emphasize 
especially the sin of this rejoicing, which does 
indeed appear from the fact stated in a that it 
is displeasing to Jehovah. It is more in har- 
mony with a, therefore, to suppose that b 
means that the sin of the one rejoicing would be 
the greater of the two, so that the punishment 
would be turned away from its original destina- 



13 My son, eat thou honey, for it is good ; 

And the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste : 

14 So shalt thou know wisdom to be unto thy soul : 
If thou hast found it, then shall there be a 

reward, 

And thy hope shall not be cut off. 

15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the habita- 

tion of the righteous ; 
Spoil not his resting place : 

16 For a righteous man falleth seven times, and 

riseth up again : 
But the wicked are overthrown by calamity. 

17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, 

And let not thine heart be glad when he is over- 
thrown : 

18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, 
And he turn away his wrath from him. 

19 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers ; 
Neither be thou envious at the wicked : 

20 For there will be no reward to the evil man ; 
The lamp of the wicked shall be put out. 

21 My son, fear thou the Lord and the king : 

And meddle not with them that are given to 
change : 

22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly ; 

And who knoweth the destruction of them both ? 

23 These also are sayings of the wise. 

To have respect of persons in judgement is not 
good. 

24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art right- 

eous ; 

Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him : 



tion and turned to him. 19. The verse is very 
similar in thought and phraseology to Ps. 37 : 1, 
and also similar to Ps. 37 : 7,8. 20. Reward, 
better, future, (see note on 23 : is. ) B is identical 
with 13 : 9b, except for the absence of the con- 
junction here, and similar to 20 : 20. (see note 
ou 13 : s.) 21b. Them that are given to 
change is not a natural phrase for the mean- 
ing, inclined to rebel, which is usually assigned. 
Therefore render, Have nothing to do tvith those 
hating (them), reading D > Jl £f, sonim, for D'JIE', 
sh&nim. This rendering involves no change 
in the consonantal text, but supposes the not in- 
frequent loss of a silent letter. 22. The use of 
both in b makes it evident that their and of 
(from) them both refer to Jehovah and the 
king. The phrases indicate source, referring to 
the calamity coming from them upon those hat- 
ing them. The other view, that these phrases 
refer to the two parties, those hating Jehovah, 
and those hating the king, is unnatural. 

23. Another division of the book begins here, 
see Introduction. B is similar to 28 : 21a, and, 
in thought, to 18 : 5a. 24. Wicked, right- 
eous, both are evidently used here as legal 
terms, in reference to the human law. Peo- 
ples, nations. Since both words are plural, 
and the second usually designates other nations 
in contrast with Israel, the meaning here can 
hardly be limited to Israel. The reference is 
not definite, however, it means men in general, 
in Israel and outside. This form of expression 
may naturally have been chosen to emphasize 



82 



25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, 
and a good blessing shall come upon them. 

26 Everyman shall kiss /its lips that giveth a right 
answer. 

27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for 
thyself in the field ; and afterwards build thine 
house. 

28 Be not a witness against thy neighbor without 
cause ; and deceive not with thy lips. 

29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to 
me : I will render to the man according to his 
work. 

30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the 
vineyard of the man void of understanding ; 

31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, 
and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the 
stone wall thereof was broken down. 

32 Then I saw, and considered it well : I looked 
upon it, and received instruction. 

33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little fold- 
ing of the hands to sleep : 

34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travel- 
leth ; and thy want as an armed man. 



CHAPTE 

1 THESE are also proverbs of Solomon, which 
the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out. 

2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing : but 
the honour of kings is to search out a matter. 

3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, 
and the heart of kings is unsearchable. 



the far-reaching condemnation of an unjust 
man ; and also to give a universal rather than a 
national tone to the proverb. 25. Rebuke, 
render punish, a well-attested meaning of the 
Hebrew word, and here to be preferred from the 
connection. This verse shows the just judge, 
in contrast with the unjust judge in the preced- 
ing. 26. He kisseth the lips means he 
manifests friendship, and so by implication 
wins friendship. A kiss was a token of friend- 
ship. The kiss of friendship or love was com- 
monly on the cheek in antiquity. This passage 
gives the only explicit mention of kissing the 
lips in the Old Testament, but Cant. 4 : 11 and 
5 : 1 perhaps allude to such a practice. 27. A 
house was less necessary for sustaining life than 
the crops ; to prepare it before the latter was to 
manifest a desire for display. This would be 
particularly true in the comparatively mild 
climate of Palestine. The teaching is : seek 
comfort rather than display. The traditional 
and usual interpretation of build thy house 
as meaning take a wife is contrary to usage. 
In the figurative use, the phrase does not mean 
take a wife, but raise up offspring, as in Deut. 
25 : 9, etc. That meaning here, leaving mar- 
riage only to be implied, is manifestly inappro- 
priate. 28. A would in form include all giv- 
ing of testimony without cause. But the chief 
instance of this would be that suggested by b, 
false testimony, which is probably meant in a. 
29. This verse expressly sets up a higher 



[Ch. XXV. 



25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, 
And a good blessing shall come upon them. 

26 He kisseth the lips 

That giveth a right answer. 

27 Prepare thy work without, 

And make it ready for thee in the field ; 
And afterwards build thine house. 

28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without 

cause ; 

And deceive not with thy lips. 

29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to 

me ; 

I will rendertothe man according to his work. 

30 I went by the field of the slothful, 

And by the vineyard of the man void of under- 
standing ; 

31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, 
The face thereof was covered with nettles, 
And the stone wall thereof was broken down. 

32 Then I beheld, and considered well : 
I saw, and received instruction. 

33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, 

A little folding of the hands to sleep : 

34 So shall thy poverty come as a robber ; 
And thy want as an armed man. 

E, XXV. 

1 THESE also are proverbs of Solomon, which 
the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out. 

2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing : 

But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. 

3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, 
And the heart of kings is unsearchable. 



standard than the law of retaliation, which is 
recognized and allowed in Exod. 21 : 23-25 ; 
Lev. 24 : 19 f ; Deut. 19 : 21. Those passages, 
however, refer to judicial infliction, while this 
verse probably refers to private vengeance, 
which would be quite a different matter. 30. 
Note the parallelism between slothful and 
man void of understanding. (See26:i6.) 
31c. (See isa. 5 : 5.) The stone wall was a bound- 
ary wall, designed especially for a protection 
against wild animals. 33. The verse is iden- 
tical with 6 : 10 ; 34, nearly identical with 
6 : 11. See notes on those verses. 



Chap. 25. The second collection of the 
Solomonic proverbs begins here ; see the Intro- 
duction. 1. Copied out. This seems to fairly 
express the meaning. Elsewhere the Hebrew 
word means to remove, here probably to remove 
from one book to another, to copy, and so by 
implication to collect. 2. Thing, matter, 
the Hebrew word is the same for both. A 
means : it is the glory of God that he is beyond 
entire human comprehension, he is more than 
man. B refers especially to the office of a king 
as a judge ; it is his glory to investigate and give 
a right decision in difficult cases. The verse is 
a contrast between the special glory respectively 
of God and of the king. 3. The verse probably 
has no direct connection with ver. 2. It is in the 
Hebrew a comparison in fact but not in form. 
The A. R. V. correctly puts it in the form of a 



PROVERBS 



Ch. XXV.] 



PROVERBS 



83 



4 Take away the dross from the silver, and there 
shall come forth a vessel for the finer. 

5 Take away the wicked from before the king, 
and his throne shall be established in righteous- 
ness. 

6 Put not forth thyself in the presence of the 
king, and stand not in the place of great men : 

7 For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come 
up hither ; than that thou shouldest be put lower 
in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have 
seen. 

8 Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not 
what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour 
hath put thee to shame. 

9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; 
and discover not a secret to another : 

10 Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and 
thine infamy turn not away. 

11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in 
pictures of silver. 

12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of 
fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. 

13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so 
is a faithful messenger to them that send him : for 
he refresheth the soul of his masters. 



comparison. Heart is here used in the gen- 
eral meaning of the inner man, the whole inner 
life. Unsearchable, this is not by God, see 
21 : 1, but by men. The thought of 20 : 5a con- 
cerning men in general is here put in a stronger 
form of kings. 4. Most commentators think 
that it is necessary to correct the text of b, 
following G., so as to render somewhat like: 
"And it comes forth perfectly pure" (Toy). 
The changes made are slight, but the emended 
text is objectionable, because it states only what 
is self-evident. The present text gives no diffi- 
culty. The objection usually urged, that simple 
purification does not produce a vessel, overlooks 
the possibility of elliptical phraseology, such as 
is common in the condensed style of proverbs. 
Remembering the possibility of this, one sees 
that the thought of the verse is good and appro- 
priate. The thought is : purification from dross 
is the chief thing in the preparation of a vessel 
adapted for any desired ornamentation by the 
silversmith. Other steps in the process are 
passed over as comparatively unimportant. In 
a similar way, in ver. 5, removal of the wicked 
is the chief thing for the establishment of a 
kingdom in righteousness. 6, 7. These verses 
are similar to Luke 14 : 8-11. Ver. 6 is general, 
advice that is good for any occasion. The same 
is probably true of ver. 7, although it may have 
in mind a feast, or some similar occasion at 
which there was a fairly specific order of ar- 
rangement. The thought of 7a and b is : it is 
better to take a humble seat and be promoted, 
than to take an exalted one and be degraded. 
7c is joined by most commentators with ver. 8, 
following G., S., Sym., for two reasons: first, 



4 Take away the dross from the silver, 

And there cometh forth a vessel for the finer : 

5 Take away the wicked from before the king, 
And his throne shall be established in righteous- 
ness. 

6 Put not thyself forward in the presence of the 

king, 

And stand not in the place of great men : 

7 For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come 

up hither ; 

Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the 

presence of the prince, 
Whom thine eyes have seen. 

8 Go not forth hastily to strive. 

Lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, 
When thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. 

9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself, 
And disclose not the secret of another : 

10 Lest he that heareth it revile thee, 
And thine infamy turn not away. 

11 A word fitly spoken 

Is like apples of gold in baskets of silver. 

12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine 

gold, 

So is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. 

13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, 

So is a, faithful messenger to them that send 
him ; 

For he refresheth the soul of his masters. 



symmetry, thus ver. 6 and 7, expressing one 
thought, have four lines, and ver. 8 has four 
lines; and second, the clause is claimed to have 
no meaning with ver. 7. Irregularity of form is 
too common in this part of Proverbs to make 
the first argument one of much force. In an- 
swer to the second, it may be said that the 
clause is positively inappropriate in ver. 8 
without change of text. Without it, ver. 8 is a 
warning against going to law without due con- 
sideration. This statement, however, would 
imply the evidence of an eye-witness, and be 
inconsistent with that idea. Also, a suitable 
meaning in ver. 7 is obtained by regarding this 
statement as intended to emphasize the disgrace 
of the degradation, because it takes place after 
one is actually seated and gazing at the prince. 
Prince refers to the " king" and "great men" 
of ver. 6; it might be used of either. 8. For 
meaning see note on previous verse. Neigh- 
bor, the opponent in the suit. 9, 10. For 
meaning see note on 11 : 13. 11. A word 
fitly spoken, the literal rendering is prob- 
ably, A word spoken in its time, i. e., at the 
right time, similar to 15 : 23b. B, the meaning 
is doubtful. It probably should be rendered, 
Is (like) fruit of gold (i. e., golden oranges) in 
engraved work of silver. The comparison is 
made from the standpoint of beauty ; the 
thought is of the beauty of an engraved work of 
silver, as a part of which, by way of contrast, 
appear oranges in gold. 12. Ornament, 
probably better, necklace. The point of the 
comparison is the same as in ver. 11. 13a is 
similar in phraseology to 26 : la, but the thought 
is somewhat different. The cold of snow. 



84 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XXV. 



14 Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like 
clouds and wind without rain. 

15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and 
a soft tongue breaketh the bone. 

16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is 
sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and 
vomit it. 

17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house ; 
lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. 

18 A man that beareth false witness against his 
neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp 
arrow. 

19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of 
trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of 
joint. 

20 As he that taketh away a garment in cold 
weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that 
singeth songs to an heavy heart. 

21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to 
eat ; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink : 

22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, 
and the Lord shall reward thee. 

23 The north wind driveth away rain : so doth an 
angry countenance a backbiting tongue. 

24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the house- 
top, than with a brawling woman and in a wide 
house. 



The reference is to snow brought from the 
mountains for cooling drinks, as was often done 
in ancient times, and in modern times as well. 
The time of harvest. This was from the 
middle of April to the middle of June, a time 
in which the weather was dry and hot. 14b 
refers to one who boasts of liberality but does 
not give, there is great boasting but no result. 

15. Ruler, better, judge, a common meaning 
elsewhere. The meaning is that a mild de- 
meanor before a judge inclines him toward 
one, which is put in a more general form in 
1), mild speech removes the hardest obstacles. 

16. A warning against over-indulgence in good 
things. 17. A similar warning against over-in- 
dulgence in society. 18a uses the phraseology 
of Exod. 20 : 16, and nearly of Deut. 5 : 20. 
19. Broken probably is literally bad. Out of 
joint, render, unsteady. 20. Many have 
thought that the text must be changed, chiefly 
because b is thought to demand some painful 
effect, which a does not indicate. There is no 
reason, however, why the verse may not be re- 
garded as having a more general reference, 
being designed to speak of actions which are 
inappropriate, out of place. This certainly is 
true of all the actions named. Nitre (soda), 
the rendering of A. R. V. is the better. Vin- 
egar is inappropriate as applied to soda, because 
the action of the acid destroys the effect of the 
alkali. 22. The thought of a has been under- 
stood in two ways. The language has been 
thought to mean really revenge, here a noble 
form of revenge. It has also been understood as 
a strong phrase for action that causes pain, here 
it brings to the enemy the salutary pain of re- 
pentance. But neither explanation is satisfac- 



14 As clouds and wind without rain, 

So is he that boasteth himself of his gifts falsely. 

15 By long forbearing is a ruler persuaded, 
And a soft tongue breaketh the bone. 

16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is suffi- 

cient for thee ; 
Lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. 

17 Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbour's house ; 
Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee. 

18 A man that beareth false witness against his 

neighbour 

Is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. 

19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of 

trouble 

Is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. 

20 As one that taketh off a garment in cold 

weather, and as vinegar upou nitre, 
So is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart. 

21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat ; 
And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink : 

22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, 
And the Lord shall reward thee. 

23 The north wind bringeth forth rain : 

So doth a backbiting tongue au angry counte- 
nance. 

24 It is better to d well in the corner of the housetop, 
Thau with a contentious woman in a wide house. 



tory. It is difficult to conceive of any natural 
origin of such a phrase as " heap coals of fire on 
his head " which would make it a commendable 
action. The following rendering is suggested 
for ver. 22, which is fully as natural as the or- 
dinary translation, from the standpoint of the 
Hebrew. If thou puttest burning coals upon 
his head, then Jehovah will requite thee. The 
verse is then in contrast with ver. 21. That 
verse inculcates benevolent treatment of an en- 
emy in need. This verse teaches that if, on the 
contrary, he is treated with hostility, strictly as 
an enemy, Jehovah will punish the doer of the 
act. Putting burning coals on the head is natu- 
rally a hostile act, as in the similar phrase in 
Ps. 140:10a. 23. The north wind. It is com- 
monly assumed that "north" is here used in a 
general way as including, and so equivalent to, 
northwest or west. It would not be difficult to 
suppose that it might thus include northwest. But 
there is no instance of its being used as equiv- 
alent to west, not even Amos. 8 : 12, which is 
often quoted. Further, the wind which brings 
rain, and hence is the prevailing wind during 
the rainy season, is not the northwest wind, but 
the west or southwest, while it is the northwest 
wind that prevails in summer during the long 
dry season. The only possible explanation, 
therefore, would seem to be the following : The 
north wind is found commonly only in October. 
It does not at once bring rain, but the rainy 
season commences soon after it begins to pre- 
vail, by the last of October. Hence the north 
wind is here spoken of as the precursor of the 
rainy season. The thought in a and b is the 
relation of cause and effect. 2-4. This verse is 
practically identical with 21:9; see note there. 



Ch. XXVI.] 



PROVERBS 



85 



25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news 
from a far country. 

26 A righteous man falling down before the 
wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt- 
spring. 

27 It is not good to eat much honey : so for men to 
search their own glory is not glory. 

28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like 
a city that is broken down, and without walls. 



CH APTE 

1 AS snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so 
honour is not seemly for a fool. 

2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by 
flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. 

3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a 
rod for the fool's back. 

4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest 
thou also be like unto him. 

5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be 
wise in his own conceit. 

6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a 
fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage. 

7 The legs of the lame are not equal : so is a par- 
able in the mouth of fools. 



25. (see is : 3ob.) 26. Corrupted, perhaps 
better, ruined. Giveth way, literally, is 
moved, i. e., falls, the meaning being: he is 
overcome by the wicked, defeated by them. 
Both a and b give cases of the spoiling of what 
is in itself good and a blessing to others. 
27a is similar to ver. 16. B has given much 
trouble, and many suggestions of change of text 
have been made. The simplest change, which 
is satisfactory and may be accepted, is merely 
the change of one vowel, with no change of conso- 
nants, reading "133, kabhedh, for 1133, kab/wdh. 
This gives the rendering of A. R. V., is grievous, 
instead of is not glory of R. Y. (see 27:3.) Per- 
haps burdensome would be better than " griev- 
ous." "Glory," probably better, honor. To 
search out means to seek for immoderately. 
The whole verse, then, gives the thought : excess 
in a good thing is not good. Courses which lead 
to prosperity are good. But to aim primarily at 
one's own honor is burdensome to one's self and 
to others. 28. The thought is that such a one 
is defenseless, especially against temptatation 
and the force of the passions. 



Chap. 26. 1 and 3-12 are concerning fools. 
1. The verse is similar to ver. 8; 19 : 10; 25 : 
13a is similar in form but different in thought. 
A little snow usually falls on the hills of Pal- 
estine in the winter, but not very much. Of 
course it would be unheard of in summer. Har- 
vest is usually reckoned as lasting from the 
middle of April to the middle of June. Showers 
are very rare in May, and unknown from that 
time till October. So in harvest rain would 
be practically unknown. The thought of the 



25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul, 

So is good news from a far country. 

26 As a troubled fountain, and a corrupted spring, 
So is a, righteous man that giveth way before the 

wicked. 

27 It is not good to eat much honey : 

So for men to search out their own glory is not 
glory. 

28 He whose spirit is without restraint 

Is like a city that is broken down and hath no 
wall. 

R XXVI. 

1 AS snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, 
So honour is not seemly for a fool. 

2 As a sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow 

in her flying, 
So the curse that is causeless lighteth not. 

3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, 
And a rod for the back of fools. 

4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, 
Lest thou also be like unto him. 

5 Answer a fool according to his folly, 
Lest he be wise in his own conceit. 

6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool 
Cutteth oS his own feet, and drinketh in damage. 

7 The legs of the lame hang loose: 

So is a parable in the mouth of fools. 



verse is that of incongruity. 2. Lighteth 
not, better, does not come to pass. The point 
of comparison is that no definite object is 
reached. A curse on any one uttered without 
reason produces no result. 3 b is similar to 
10 : 13b, 19 : 29b. In a the thought is, appar- 
ently, whip and bridle for horse and ass. The 
form of statement here adopted is rhetorical, 
being chosen for the sake of brevity in the par- 
allelism. 4, 5. Since these verses are put by 
the side of each other, it is apparent that they 
were not considered by the compilers to be con- 
tradictory. In fact, it is only apparently that 
they are so. Each states in a forcible way one 
side of a truth, as a proverb usually does. Per- 
haps the thought of the two verses cannot be 
more definitely stated than this : what to do de- 
pends on circumstances ; answer not the fool 
when there is danger of being like him ; answer 
him certainly often enough so that he may not 
think himself unanswerable. 6. See 1C : 26, 
and the contrasted thought in 25 : 13. Cutteth 
off his own feet. This means that the pros- 
pect of the message being delivered is as poor as 
if he were his own messenger and he himself 
had no feet ; he has thus no means of sending a 
message. Drinketh in, better, simply drinks, 
i. e., fills himself with, somewhat as in Job 15 : 
16. 7b is identical with 9b. Parable, render, 
proverb, it is the same word as that which appears 
in the title to the book, Si^D, mashal. (see note 
on i : i.) The point of the comparison is: value- 
lessness for practical use. The legs of the lame 
are of no practical value for locomotion ; neither 
is a proverb of value in the mouth of a fool, 
although a means of effective speech in the 



86 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XXVI. 



8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he 
that giveth honour to a fool. 

9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunk- 
ard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools. 

10 The great God that formed all things both re- 
wardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors. 

11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool re- 
turneth to his folly. 

12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? 
there is more hope of a fool than of him. 

13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the 
way ; a lion is in the streets. 

14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth 
the slothful upon his bed. 

15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom ; it 
grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth. 

16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than 
seven men that can render a reason. 

17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife 
belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by 
the ears. 

18 As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, 
and death, 

19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and 
saith, Am not I in sport ? 

20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out : so 
where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. 

21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to 
fire : so is a contentious man to kindle strife. 

22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and 
they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. 

23 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like' a. 
potsherd covered with silver dross. 



mouth of one who knows how to use it. The 
thought of ver. 9 is a little different. 8. As a 
bag of gems in a heap of stones (As one 

that bindeth a stone in a sling), the rendering 
of the A. R. V. is to be preferred. The thought, 
as in ver. 1, is of that which is incongruous. 
The binding, securely fastening, of a stone in a 
sling is out of harmony with the very purpose 
of a sling. 9 b is identical with 7b, see note 
there. Goeth up into would mean pierces, 
better, comes into, i. e., he carries it about as a 
weapon. Thorn is a thorn bush or branch. 
The point of the comparison here is the proba- 
bility of injuring one's self, thus going beyond 
the thought of ver. 7. The picture is of a 
drunken man going about with a thorn bush in 
his hand, with which he would be very apt to 
hurt himself. So a fool in attempting to use a 
proverb would injure himself. Some have 
thought that the idea was of injury to others, 
but it does not seem likely that a drunken man 
could be thought of as doing much injury to 
others with no other weapon than a thorn bush. 
10. Many have thought the text corrupt, as it 
seems to give no connected meaning. A change 
in the vowels of one word may be accepted, read- 
ing "Qt^, us e kh&r, for "Ot^l, w'sdkher, before 
Vp3, k'sll, which gives the following transla- 
tion, that of Delitzsch : Much produces all ; but 
the hire of the fool and of the one hiring (him) 



8 As a bag of gems in a heap of stones, 
So is he that giveth honour to a fool. 

9 As a thorn that goeth up into the hand of a 

drunkard, 
So is a parable in the mouth of fools. 

10 As an archer that woundeth all, 

So is he that hireth the fool and he that hireth 
them that pass by. 

11 As a dog that returneth to his vomit, 
So is a fool that repeateth his folly. 

12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? 
There is more hope of a fool than of him. 

13 The sluggard saith, There is a lion in the way ; 
A lion is in the streets. 

14 As the door turueth upon its hinges, 
So doth the sluggard upon his bed. 

15 The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish ; 

It wearieth him to bring it again to his mouth. 

16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit 
Than seven men that can render a reason. 

17 He that passeth by, and vexeth himself with 

strife belonging not to him, 
Is like one that taketh a dog by the ears. 

18 As a madman who casteth firebrands, 
Arrows, and death ; 

19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, 
And saith, Am not I in sport? 

20 For lack of wood the fire goeth out : 

And where there is no whisperer, contention 
ceaseth. 

21 .4s coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire ; 
So is a contentious man to inflame strife. 

22 The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, 
And they go down into the innermost parts of 

the belly. 

23 Fervent lips and a wicked heart 

Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver 
dross. 



passes away. A means that he who has is gen- 
erally in a way to gain more; b gives an ex- 
ception, when one hires a fool it is unprofitable 
to both. 11a is quoted in 2 Peter 2 : 22. 12a 
is similar to 3 : 7a; b, identical with 29 : 20b. 
The verse is a virtual condition, if thou seest, as 
in 22 : 29 ; 29 : 20. Fool, the meaning here is 
the same as in 8 : 5. 

13-16 are concerning sluggards. 13 is sim- 
ilar to 22 : 13. 14. (See 6 : 9 f. ; U : 33.) The 

thought is that each turns back and forth, 
but does not move from the place. 15a is 
identical with 19 : 24a; b, similar to 19 : 24b. 
16. Render a reason, better, answer dis- 
creetly. The terms sluggard and fool are very 
similar; see the parallelism in 24 : 30. 17. The 
verse is similar in thought to 25 : 8. It is better 
to render, He that vexes himself with strife not 
belonging to him, is like one that takes a passing 
dog by the ears. " Passing," i. e., not belonging 
to him, with which he need not have anything to 
do. The folly of meddling with that which is 
not one's business is the prominent thought in 
both clauses. 18. Madman, probably better, 
a stupid man. 20. The thought of the verse is 
similar to that of 16 : 28. (see also 22 : 10.) 22. 
The verse is identical with 18 : 8 ; see note there. 

23-28 speak of various kinds of wrong speech. 
23. Heart is here used in the sense of moral 
character. An earthen vessel, it is better to 



Ch. XXVII.] 



PROVERBS 



87 



24 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and 
layeth up deceit within him ; 

25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not : for 
there are seven abominations in his heart. 

26 Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wicked- 
ness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. 

27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein : and he 
that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. 

28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted 
by it ; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin. 



CHAPTE 

1 BOAST not thyself of to-morrow ; for thou 
knowest not what a day may bring forth. 

2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine 
own mouth ; a stranger, and not thine own lips. 

3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty ; but a 
fool's wrath is heavier than them both. 

4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous ; but 
who is able to stand before envy ? 

5 Open rebuke is better than secret love. 

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend ; but the 
kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 

7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to 
the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. 

8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a 
man that wandereth from his place. 

9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so 
doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty 
counsel. 

10 Thine own friend, and thy father's frieud, for- 
sake not ; neither go into thy brother's house in the 
day of thy calamity : for better is a neighbour that is 
near than a brother far off. 



24 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, 
But he layeth up deceit within him : 

25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not ; 

For there are seven abominations in his heart : 

26 Though his hatred cover itself with guile, 

His wickedness shall be openly shewed before 
the congregation. 

27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein : 

And he that rolleth a stone, it shall return upon 
him. 

28 A lying tongue hateth those whom it hath 

wounded ; 
And a flattering mouth worketh ruin. 

XXVII. 

1 BOAST not thyself of to-morrow ; 

For thou knowest not what a day may bring 
forth. 

2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own 

mouth ; 

A stranger, and not thine own lips. 

3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty ; 

But a fool's vexation is heavier than them both. 

4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous ; 
But who is able to stand before jealousy? 

5 Better is open rebuke 
Than love that is hidden. 

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend : 
But the kisses of an enemy are profuse. 

7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb : 

But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is 
sweet. 

8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, 
So is a man that wandereth from his place. 

9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart : 

So doth the sweetness of a man's friend that 
eometh of hearty counsel. 
10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, for- 
sake not ; 

And go not to thy brother's house in the day of 

thy calamity : 
Better is a neighbour that is near than a brother 

far off. 



R 



render, according to the usual meaning of the 
word, a potsherd, a fragment of earthenware. 
This affords a more exact comparison than the 
rendering of the R. V. Silver dross, the 
dross left in refining silver, often used, as men- 
tioned here, in glazing pottery, giving to it a 
brilliant appearance. The thought in both 
members, then, is: shining, appearing to be 
valuable, but actually worthless. 25a. Be- 
lieve, rather, trust. 26. The verse is probably 
not to be connected closely with ver. 24 and 25, 
it is really a generalization of the thought there 
expressed, hence there should be a period at 
the end of ver. 25. Render, more literally: 
Hatred may cover itself with guile, (yet) his 
wickedness, etc. " His " refers to the one hat- 
ing, implied in "hatred" of a. Before the 
congregation, literally, in an assembly. The 
meaning probably is : in some public assembly, 
without specifying it more closely. The state- 
ment is a general one ; hatred may attempt to 
conceal itself, but it will ultimately manifest 
itself publicly. 28. The parallelism is not 
very close. The chief point of connection be- 
tween a and b is the general thought that harm 
is likely to be done by the mouth. A lying 



tongue, a liar, in whom it is of course the 
tongue that is chiefly considered. 



Chap. 27. 1. The verse is similar to James 
4 : 13-16. 2. A stranger means here simply 
another. 3. Sand, (see job 6 : 3.) Heavier 
means more burdensome. 5a. Either from 
friend or foe, no restriction is given. B, it is 
so hidden that it makes no manifestation of its 
presence, either by praise or rebuke. 6. Faith- 
ful, perhaps better, sincere. As such they are 
naturally for one's benefit. Profuse means 
too abundant, suggesting insincerity. (See ver. u.) 
8. Place means home. 9b is probably to be 
rendered : And the sweetness of his friend makes 
strong the soul. This rendering requires a slight 
change in the consonants of one word, reading 
DVJ?D, md' a cim, for nVj?Jp, me a gath, but the 
text as it stands is almost unintelligible. 
Sweetness means pleasing conversation, as 
in 16 : 21. "His" refers directly to the person 
mentioned in a, thus really any one. 10b 
presents the idiom of exaggerated contrast, like 
8 : 10 ; see note there. It is simply a strong way 
of saying : in calamity go first to a proved 
friend rather than to a brother, you are more 



88 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XXVII. 



11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that 
I may answer him that reproacheth me. 

12 A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth 
himself ; but the simple pass on, and are punished. 

13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, 
and take a pledge of him for a strange woman. 

14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, 
rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a 
curse to him. 

15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and 
a contentious woman are alike. 

16 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and 
the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth 
itself. 

17 Iron sharpeneth iron ; so a man sharpeneth the 
countenance of his friend. 

18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit 
thereof : so he that waiteth on his master shall be 
honoured. 

19 As in water face answerclh to face, so the heart 
of man to man. 

20 Hell and destruction are never full ; so the 
eyes of man are never satisfied. 

21 As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for 
gold ; so is a man to his praise. 

22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar 
among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his fool- 
ishness depart from him. 

23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy 
flocks, and look well to thy herds. 

24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the 
crown endure to every generation ? 

25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass shew- 
eth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. 

26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats 
are the price of the field. 



apt to find help there. The thought of 18 : 24b 
is the same ; see also note on 17 : 17. The gen- 
eral reason for this counsel is given in c. 
Near . . . far off, these refer to feeling, not 
space. 11. This is in the form of an admoni- 
tion of a father or teacher, as in many other 
cases in Proverbs. B is nearly identical with 
Ps. 119 : 42a. 12. The verse is identical in 
thought, and nearly in form, with 22 : 3. 13. 
The verse is nearly identical with 20 : 16 ; see 
note there. Render, Take his garment because 
he has become surety for a stranger, and hold 
him in pledge for a foreign woman, i, e., a har- 
lot. ( See note o" 2 : 16.) The thought is the same 
as in 20 : 16, except that here the danger from 
harlots is presented along with that from surety- 
ship. 14a describes one who is so over-zealous 
as to be evidently hypocritical. B. To him, 
the one who utters the blessing, on account of 
his hypocrisy. The verse shows the lack of 
value, and even the disadvantage, of outward 
form. 15 is similar in thought to 19 : 13b. 
16a means that the contentious woman, spoken 
of in the preceding verse, is as unrestrainable as 
the wind ; b, that she is as elusive as oil. 17. 
Countenance probably means here no more 
than person ; a mau has an influence on his 



11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, 
That I may answer him that reproacheth me. 

12 A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth him- 

self : 

But the simple pass on, and suffer for it. 

13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger ; 
A nd hold him in pledge that is surety for a strange 

woman. 

14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, 

rising early in the morning, 
It shall be counted a curse to him. 

15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day 
And a contentious woman are alike : 

16 He that would restrain her restraineth the wind, 
And his right hand encountereth oil. 

17 Iron sharpeneth iron ; 

So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his 
friend. 

18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit 

thereof ; 

And he that wai eth on his master shall be 
honoured. 

19 As in water face answereth to face, 
So the heart of man to man. 

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied ; 
And.the eyes of man are never satisfied. 

21 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for 

gold, 

And a man is tried by his praise. 

22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar 

with a pestle among bruised corn, 
Yet will not his foolishness depart from him. 

23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, 
And look well to thy herds : 

24 For riches are not for ever ; 

And doth the crown endure unto all generations ? 

25 The hay is carried, and the tender grass sheweth 

itself, 

And the'herbs of the mountains are gathered in. 

26 The lambs are for thy clothing, 

And the goats are the price of the field : 



friend. 19. This verse probably means that a 
man sees his reflection in others, like the reflec- 
tion in water, i. e., he observes his own qualities 
in others, he is quick to notice his own charac- 
teristics. 20a is similar in thought to 30 : 15, 
16. For meaning of Abaddon, see note on 
15 : 11. 21a is identical with 17 : 3a, but in a dif- 
ferent connection ; there God's testing is spoken 
of, here men's. B. Is tried, it is better to 
supply, is known. Praise, i. e., reputation, the 
way men praise him. Silver and gold are tested 
that their real quality may be known ; so man is 
known by his reputation. 22. Bruised corn, 
better, threshed grain. 23. Flocks and herds 
describe one of the most prominent forms of 
wealth. 24. This verse gives a general reason 
for ver. 23, with no suggestion of contrast. It 
does not mean, as some have thought, that 
flocks are more permanent than any other kind 
of wealth, but that any kind of wealth is uncer- 
tain and must be looked after. The crown, 
better, a crown, an extreme case of the muta- 
bility of possessions. 25. The real meaning is : 
When the hay, etc. ver. 26, Then, etc. 26. 
This verse means that the lambs furnish cloth- 
ing from their sale, and also from the wool which 
they furnish. The field should be a field; goats 



Ch. XXVIII. ] 



PROVERBS 



89 



27 And thou Shalt have goats' milk enough for thy 
food, for the food of thy household, and for the 
maintenance for thy maidens. 

CHAPTER 

1 THE wicked flee when no man pursueth : but 
the righteous are bold as a lion. 

2 For the transgression of a land many are the 
princes thereof ; but by a man of understanding 
and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged. 

8 A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a 
sweeping rain which leaveth no food. 

4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked : 
but such as keep the law contend with them. 

5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they 
that seek the Lord understand all things. 

6 Better is the poor that walketh in his upright- 
ness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he 
be rich. 

7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son : but he 
that is a companion of riotous men shameth his 
father. 

8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth 
his substance, he shall gather it for him that will 
pity the poor. 

9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the 
law, even his prayer shall be abomination. 

10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in 
an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit : 
but the upright shall have good things in possession. 

11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit ; but 
the poor that hath understanding searcheth him 
out. 



may be sold and a field purchased, if desired. 
27b, render, And for maintenance, etc. 



Chap. 28. la is similar in thought to Lev. 
26 :36, which has a national application. Bold, 
better, confident, i. e., confident of safety. 2 a 
describes a time of general insecurity, which is 
indicated by frequent changes of kings, such as 
was often found in the northern kingdom, and 
sometimes in the southern. The state thereof 
shall be prolonged, render: right shall be 
prolonged, there shall come a long time of justice 
and security. 3. The rendering of R. V. makes 
this verse different from all the other Old Testa- 
ment representations, in which the poor man 
never appears as an oppressor. Because of this 
fact, some change of text is almost universally 
adopted. The simplest and best involves no 
consonantal change, reading tJH, rosh, or E'XI, 
rosh, for KH, rash, and gives the rendering: 
A ruler, instead of, A needy man. Leaveth, 
probably better, bringeth. The comparison is 
with a violent tempest, which sweeps things 
away, but gives no help to the growing crops. 
Thus the activity of a ruler who oppresses the 
poor is entirely destructive, not at all beneficial. 
4. The law, in both clauses render teaching, 
i. e., of the wise, uttering the voice of God. (see 
note on i : 8.) Them, i. e., the wicked. 5. 
Judgement {justice), the rendering of the A. 



27 And there will be goats' milk enough for thy food, 
for the food of thy household ; 
And maintenance for thy maidens. 

XXVIII. 

1 THE wicked flee when no man pursueth : 
But the righteous are bold as a lion. 

2 For the transgression of a laud many are the 

princes thereof : 
But by men of understanding and knowledge 
the state thereof shall be prolonged. 

3 A needy man that oppresseth the poor 

Is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food. 

4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked : 
But such as keep the law contend with them. 

5 Evil men understand not judgement : 

But they that seek the Lord understand all 
things. 

6 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, 
Than he that is perverse in his ways though he 

be rich. 

7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son : 

But he that is a companion of gluttonous men 
shameth his father. 

8 He that augmenteth his substance by usury and 

increase, 

Gathereth it for him that hath pity on the poor. 

9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the 

law, 

Even his prayer is an abomination. 

10 Whoso causeth the upright to go astray in an 

evil way, 

He shall fall himself into his own pit : 
But the perfect shall inherit good. 

11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit ; 

But the poor that hath understanding searcheth 
him out. 



R. V. is the better. All things, i. e., with 
reference to justice, mentioned in a. 6. The 
verse is nearly identical with 19 : 1 ; see note 
there. 7. The law, as in ver. 4. 8. The 
verse is similar to 13 : 22b. Usury (interest), 
the rendering of A. R. V. is the better. The 
thought is not of usury in the modern sense 
of the term, meaning an exorbitant rate of in- 
terest. This word means interest on money 
loaned, while the word rendered increase 
is especially interest on property loaned. The 
taking of any interest from Hebrews was for- 
bidden, (see Lev. 25 : 35 f.) Violations of the 
law are recorded in Ezek. 22 : 12 ; Neh. 5 : 7, 
10 f. In those times the taking of interest 
would have been oppression of the poor, for 
money and property were borrowed not in or- 
der to engage in business, as is so often the 
case now, but in order to relieve pressing neces- 
sity. 9. The law, as in ver. 4. Abomina- 
tion, of course to God, to whom the prayer was 
directed. 10a, render: He who misleads the 
upright into a dangerous way, i. e., into mis- 
fortune. This is not leading them into sin, but 
into danger. This is better than the rendering 
of R. V., because it is in accordance with the 
general teaching of Proverbs that the wicked 
are trying to injure the upright, but not that 
they are able to lead them into sin. The thought 
is thus similar to that of 26 : 27. Inherit, bet- 



90 



PEOVERBS 



[Ch. XXVIII. 



12 When righteous men do rejoice, there is great 
glory : but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden. 

13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: 
but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have 
mercy. 

14 Happy is the man that feareth always : but he 
that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. 

15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear ; so is 
a wicked ruler over the poor people. 

16 The prince that wanteth understanding is also 
a great oppressor : but he that hateth covetousness 
shall prolong his days. 

17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any 
person shall flee to the pit ; let no man stay him. 

18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved : but 
he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. 

19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of 
bread : but he that followeth after vain persons 
shall have poverty enough. 

20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings : 
but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be 
innocent. 

21 To have respect of persons is not good : for, for 
a piece of bread that man will transgress. 

22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, 
and considereth not that poverty shall come upon 
him. 

23 He that rebuketh a man, afterwards shall find 
more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue. 

24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and 
saith, is no transgression ; the same is the com- 
panion of a destroyer. 

25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife : 
but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be 
made fat. 

26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool : 
but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. 

27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack : 
but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. 



12 Wheu the righteous triumph, there is great 

glory : 

But when the wicked rise, men hide them- 
selves. 

13 He that covereth his transgressions shall not 

prosper : 

But wnoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall 
obtain mercy. 

14 Happy is the man that feareth alway : 

But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into 
mischief. 

15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear ; 
So is a. wicked ruler over a poor people. 

16 The prince that lacketh understanding is also a 

great oppressor : 
But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong 
his days. 

17 A man that is laden with the blood of any 

person 

Shall flee unto the pit ; let no man stay him. 

18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be delivered : 
But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at 

once. 

19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of 

bread : 

But he that followeth after vain persons shall 
have poverty enough. 

20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings : 
But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be 

unpunished. 

21 To have respect of persons is not good : 
Neither that a man should transgress for a piece 

of bread. 

22 He that hath an evil eye hasteth after riches, 
And knoweth not that waut shall come upon 

him. 

23 He that rebuketh a man shall afterward find 

more favour 
Than he that flattereth with the tongue. 

24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and 

saith, It is no transgression ; 
The same is the companion of a destroyer. 

25 He that is of a greedy spirit stirreth up strife : 
But he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall 

be made fat. 

26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool : 
But whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. 

27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack : 
But he that hideth his eyes shall have many a 

curse. 



ter, possess. 12b is very similar to ver. 28a. 
(see aino 29 : i6a.) Rise means, are in power. 
Hide themselves, on account of the dangers 
that prevail. 13. The teaching is that of Ps. 
32. 14. Feareth, the implied object must be 
God. B is similar to 29 : 1. Mischief, ren- 
der, calamity. 15. The poverty of the people 
makes his oppression and covetousness more 
burdensome. 16. Covetousness is too weak 
a word; render, unjust gain. 17b, render: 
Flees unto a pit ; let no man uphold him, i. e. , 
give him help in his course. The thought is : a 
murderer will try to escape the consequences of 
his crime, but in vain ; when he flees, a pit 
awaits him. Therefore let no one give him aid 
and encouragement in his course. There seems 
to be no definite reference in pit, it means 
rather : if he escapes punishment in one form, 
it will meet him in another. 19a is identical 
with 12 : 11a, and b is similar in both. 20. The 
verse is similar in thought to 20 : 21. 21a is 
similar to 24 : 23b. (See also is : 5a.) B. Sender: 



And for apiece of bread a man may transgress, 
i. e., show partiality in judgment, as in a. This 
is an extreme statement of the liability of judges 
to show partiality. 22. An evil eye, see 23 : 
6, and the opposite in 22 : 9. Here it means 
especially an avaricious look. 23. At first a 
rebuke is naturally unacceptable, but afterward 
it is appreciated. On b, see 29 : 3 ; on a, Ps. 
141 : 5. 24. On a, see 19 : 26 ; and on b, 18 : 
9b. This verse presumably refers to a son's get- 
ting possession of the property illegally, and 
then justifying himself by saying that it would 
ultimately be his by inheritance. 25. He that 
is of a greedy spirit, better simply, agreedy 
man. Stirreth up strife. The same Hebrew 
phrase in 15 : 18 is rendered : stirreth up con- 
tention. B. (See 16 : 30b; 29 : 25b.) 26. Heart 

means understanding. B. The parallelism ap- 
pears in the implied idea that he who is wise does 
not trust in himself alone. 27a is similar to 
11 : 24a, 25 ; 14 : 21b ; 19 : 17 ; 22 : 9. B. Hideth 
his eyes, i. e., from the poor. Many a curse. 



Ch. XXIX.] 



PROVERBS 



91 



28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: 
but when they perish, the righteous increase. 

CHAPTE 

1 HE, that being often reproved hardeneth his 
neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that with- 
out remedy. 

2 When the righteous are in authority, the people 
rejoice : but when the wicked beareth rule, the 
people mourn. 

3 Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father : but 
he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth 
his substance. 

4 The king by judgment establisheth the land : 
but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. 

5 A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth 
a net for his feet. 

6 In the transgression of an evil man there is a 
snare : but the righteous doth sing and rejoice. 

7 The righteous considc reth the cause of the 
poor : but the wicked regardeth not to know it. 

8 Scornful men bring a city into a snare : but 
wise men turn away wrath. 

9 If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, 
whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest. 

10 The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the 
just seek his soul. 

11 A fool uttereth all his mind : but a wise man 
keepeth it in till afterwards. 

12 If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are 
wicked. 

13 The poor and the deceitful man meet together : 
the Lord lighteneth both their eyes. 

14 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his 
throne shall be established for ever. 



I 28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: 
| But when they perish, the righteous increase. 

R XXIX. 

1 HE that being often reproved hardeneth his 

neck 

Shall suddenly be broken, and that without 
remedy. 

2 When the righteous are increased, the people 

rejoice : 

But when a wicked man beareth rule, the people 
sigh. 

3 Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father : 
But he that keepeth company with harlots wast- 

eth his substance. 

4 The king by judgement establisheth the land : 
But he that exacteth gifts overthroweth it. 

5 A man that flattereth his neighbour 
Spreadeth a net for his steps. 

6 In the transgression of an evil man there is a 

snare : 

But the righteous doth sing and rejoice. 

7 The righteous taketh knowledge of the cause 

of the poor : 
The wicked hath not understanding to know 
it. 

8 Scornful men set a city in a flame : 
But wise men turn away wrath. 

9 If a wise man hath a controversy with a foolish 

man, 

Whether he be angry or laugh, there will be no 
rest. 

10 The bloodthirsty hate him that is perfect : 
And as for the upright, they seek his life. 

11 A fool uttereth all his anger : 

But a wise man keepeth it back and stilleth it. 

12 If a ruler hearkeneth to falsehood, 
All his servants are wicked. 

13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together : 
The Lord lighteneth the eyes of them both. 

14 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, 
His throne shall be established for ever. 



See 11 : 26a, and the opposite in 28 : 20. 28a is 
very similar to ver. 12b. B. (see 29 : 2, 16 ; 11 : 
10.) Increase. This is the common meaning 
of the word, and is sufficient here ; when not 
oppressed they increase. 



Chap. 29. 1. The verse is similar to 28 : 
14b. B. This takes place by God's act, but it 
may be direct or indirect. 2. The verse is simi- 
lar to 28 : 12, 28. Are increased, here better, 
are in power. It seems necessary to give the 
word this meaning here, because it is a meaning 
easily derived from the usual one, and is de- 
manded in this verse by the connection of thought 
and parallelism. The same meaning is to be 
assigned in ver. 16. 3a is similar to many 
other passages in Proverbs. B. Licentiousness 
is here put as the opposite of wisdom, being one 
of the most conspicuous examples of folly, (so in 

2 : 11, 16; 5 : 1-3 ; 6 : 23, 24; 9 : 1, 13.) WaSteth 

his substance, and so of course makes his 
father sad. 4. Gifts, better, taxes. The ref- 
erence is to a king who oppresses the people 
by excessive taxation. 5. For his steps, i. e., 
of the neighbor. 6. The verse is similar to 12 : 
13. A snare, i. e., for himself. Doth sing 
and rejoice, not because of the misfortunes of 



the wicked, but because he is not himself in 
danger of snares. 7a, the form of expression 
is similar to that of 12 : 10. B. Kender: The 
wicked does not understand knowledge, a gen- 
eral statement, but having special reference 
to knowledge of the cause of the poor. 8. A 
flame, i. e., of discord. 9. A controversy is 
of a legal nature. B. The subject is the foolish 
man. Render : He rages and he laughs, and 
there is no rest. He refers to the foolish man. This 
means that he does not take the matter seriously, 
but does contradictory things, and will not listen 
to reason, so that whatever he does his opponent 
has no rest. 10b. The rendering of R. V. is un- 
natural in syntax. The natural rendering is : 
And the upright seek his life, which of course 
cannot be right. It is best to change one con- 
sonant, reading y\^>y~y e bhS.q e ru, for Wp_T= 
y e bhdq e shu, and render : But the upright care for 
his life, which gives a good meaning and a good 
antithesis, lib. Render: But a wise man after- 
ward stilleth it. This means that he keeps silence 
till the fool has given utterance to his anger, and 
afterward brings forward convincing arguments 
refuting him. 13. The general thought is the 
same as in 22 : 2. Lighteneth the eyes. 
Gives the light of life. 14. (see 20 : 28; 25 : 5.) 



92 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XXX. 



15 The rod and reproof give wisdom : but a child 
left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. 

16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgres- 
sion increaseth : but the righteous shall see their 
fall. 

17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest ; 
yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. 

18 Where there is no vision, the people perish : 
but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. 

19 A servant will not be corrected by words : for 
though he understand he will not answer. 

20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words ? 
there is more hope of a fool than of him. 

21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant 
from a child shall have him become his son at the 
length. 

22 An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious 
man aboundeth in transgression. 

23 A man's pride shall bring him low : but 
honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. 

24 Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own 
soul : he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not. 

25 The fear of man bringeth a snare : but whoso 
putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. 

26 Many seek the ruler's favour ; but every man's 
judgment cometh from the Lord. 

27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just : 
and he that is upright in the way is abomination to 
the wicked. 



15 The rod and reproof give wisdom : 

But a child left to himself causeth shame to his 
mother. 

16 When the wicked are increased, transgression 

increaseth : 
But the righteous shall look upon their fall. 

17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest ; 
Yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. 

18 Where there is no vision, the people cast off 

restraint : 

But he that keepeth the law, happy is he. 

19 A servant will not be corrected by words : 

For though he understand he will not give heed. 

20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words ? 
There is more hope of a fool than of him. 

21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from 

a child 

Shall have him become a son at the last. 

22 An angry man stirreth up strife, 

And a wrathful man aboundeth in transgression. 

23 A man's pride shall bring him low : 

But he that is of a lowly spirit shall obtain 
honour. 

24 Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own 

soul : 

He heareth the adjuration and uttereth nothing. 

25 The fear of man bringeth a snare : 

But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be 
safe. 

26 Many seek the ruler's favour : 

But a man's judgement cometh from the Lord. 

27 An unjust man is an abomination to the right- 

eous : 

And he that is upright in the way is an abomina- 
tion to the wicked. 



1 THE words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the 
prophecy : the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto 
Ithiel and Ucal. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

1 THE words of Agur the son of Jakeh ; the oracle. 
The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal : 



15. Child, (see note on 20: n.) Left to him- 
self, means left unpunished. For the thought, 

Bee note On 19 : 18. 16a. (See 28 : 12b, 28a; 29 : 

Jb.) B. (see Ps. 37 : 34.) Are increased, ren- 
der : are in power. (See note on ver. 2.) 18. 
Vision, evidently of the prophets, the word 
often used of their teachings. It is used in refer- 
ence to their oral activity ; there is here nothing 
to indicate that it means a body of their collected 
writings. These words were evidently written, 
therefore, before prophecy had ceased in Israel. 
Law. Some think this means the Mosaic law, 
the Pentateuch. But everywhere else in Proverbs 
the word means teaching, especially of the wise 
men, and no reason appears here for giving it a 
different meaning, It is better, therefore, to 
adopt that meaning here, and render teaching. 
(See note on i : 8.) Cast off restraint means: 
act as they please, do wickedly. 19. The thought 
is evidently that words are insufficient, chastise- 
ment is necessary. 20b is identical with 26 : 
12, see note there. 21. Render: If one delicate- 
ly brings up his servant from a child, there shall 
be grief at the last. This seems to be the proba- 
ble meaning, and involves no change of text. 
The meaning is: over-indulgence of a servant 
will end unfortunately. 22a is nearly identical 
with 15 : 18a ; see also 28 : 25a. 24. Soul, ren- 



der, self ; he is opposed to all his own best inter- 
ests. See 15 : 32, and the contrasted expression in 
19 : 8a. B apparently refers to the custom stated 
in Lev. 5:1; Judg. 17 : 2, that a solemn curse 
was pronounced on any one who knew about a 
crime and did not reveal it; this curse the part- 
ner of the thief hears but tells nothing. He has 
therefore a burden of guilt upon him, as stated 
in Lev. 5 : 1. 25. Snare means danger of dis- 
aster, resulting of course from the fact that it 
leads into sin. 26. See 19 : 6a ; on b, Isa. 49 : 
4. This verse indicates that the only judgment 
that is sure to be just comes from Jehovah. 



Chap. 30. This chapter forms a division by 
itself, and it is probable that the whole chapter 
is by one author; see the Introduction. That 
author is stated to be Agur the son of Jakeh. 
Neither name occurs elsewhere, so that the title 
conveys no real information. There is no reason, 
however, for considering the words to be com- 
mon nouns, as some have done. 

The first division of the chapter consists of 
ver. 1-6. Their subject may be stated as being : 
the author's search after God and its result. This 
division presents many difficulties and problems, 
as will be seen in the discussion. Ver. lb-4 are 
regarded by many as the words of an opponent 



Ch. XXX.] 

2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and 
have not the understanding of a man. 

3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowl- 
edge of the holy. 

4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or de- 
scended ? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? 
who hath bound the waters in a garment? who 
hath established all the ends of the earth? what is 



in argument, to which ver. 5, 6 are the reply. 
This is, however, only a supposition made to 
remove the difficulty caused by their apparently 
skeptical character, which difficulty can be bet- 
ter removed in another way. It is better to re- 
gard them as the words of Agur, relating a part 
of his experience. 

In lb the words unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel 
and Ucal are unmeaning. They should be ren- 
dered, with change of vowels but no change of 
consonants, reading Soki Ss< with , nn 1 ?, 
laithl 'el la'UM 'el waekhSl : I have wearied my- 
self about God, I have wearied myself about God, 
arid have fainted. Then 2a should be rendered : 
For I am brutish, so as not to be a man. This 
rendering furnishes the key for the understand- 
ing of ver. lb-4. It indicates that Agur had been 
engaged in an earnest but unavailing search after 
God. He is an honest seeker, and an unwilling 
skeptic. Ver. lb^ are an utterance of skepticism 
of this kind, they describe Agur's earnest and 
fruitless search after God. 

Next should be examined the quotations and 
allusions of this passage, ver. lb-6. These are 
numerous, and most, but not all, of them have 
hitherto been pointed out by others. Ver. 5 is a 
quotation with very slight changes from 2 Sam. 

22 : 31b and c, which is the same as Ps. 18 : 30b 
and c, one of the most certainly Davidic psalms. 
Ver. 6 is an evident allusion to Deut. 4 : 2 and 12 : 
32, containing some of their phraseology. Ver. 3 
is a similar allusion to Prov. 9 : 10, containing 
some of its phraseology. It is a regret by the 
author that he has not been privileged to share 
in the experience mentioned in 9 : 10. Other 
less immediately obvious allusions may be recog- 
nized with the help of those already given. The 
man saith in ver. lb is probably to be re- 
garded as an allusion to the words of 2 Sam. 

23 : 1. These words are in Hebrew the same as 
the first part of the phrase: And the man who 
ivas raised on high saith. One of the words used, 
DfcO, n e 'um, ordinarily belongs only to the pro- 
phetic vocabulary. Agur by using these words 
and omitting the rest of the phrase says in effect : 
I am merely a man, not a man raised on high, I 
cannot join in the triumphal utterance of David 
in his last words. The word in ver. la trans- 
lated the oracle, KE?on, h&mmSssa , is also a 



93 



2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, 
And have not the understanding of a man : 

3 And I have not learned wisdom, 

Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One. 

4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, and de- 

scended ? 

Who hath gathered the wind in his fists ? 
Who hath bound the waters in his garment ? 
Who hath established all the ends of the earth ? 



prophetic word, and can be naturally explained 
as used here in harmony with the word just 
mentioned, which is used as part of the quota- 
tion. Less obvious allusions are found in ver. 4, 
which, however, are probably to be regarded as 
such. Here are allusions to the same Davidic 
psalm from which ver. 5 is quoted. The first 
three clauses of ver. 4 are allusions to 2 Sam. 22 : 
10-12, which is the same as Ps. 18 : 9-11. They 
contain in a brief form allusions in their order 
to the occurrences of these successive verses. The 
allusions here are skeptical, and are similar to 
those of ver. 1 and 3. The thought is : David 
has described God as doing these various things. 
I should like to know if he has, for I have not 
been able to find any such explicit manifesta- 
tions of his power as are here related. So I ask 
who has done these things ; it is of course God if 
any one. 

Some, however, have interpreted ver. 4 as being 
written with man in mind, not God. For this 
view two chief reasons are assigned. One is that 
in ver. 4a ascended precedes descended, 
which could only be so, it is claimed, if some 
one on earth was in mind, who would first 
ascend. To this it is a sufficient answer to say 
that the order is the same when the angels are 
spoken of in Gen. 28 : 12 and John 1 : 51, which 
passages show that the order was not thought of 
as chronological. Another reason is that it is 
supposed to be necessary in order to account for 
the language of ver. 4e. This is not necessarily 
the case, however; see the later discussion on 
that part of the verse. It may be added that 
the acts of ver. 4 are all manifestly impossible 
for men, so that no good meaning is obtained on 
that view. 

In ver. 4d no evident allusion is to be found. 
The phrase the ends of the earth is the 
same in Hebrew as that rendered the uttermost 
parts of the earth in Ps. 2 : 8, but it is also found 
in several other passages. 

The clause of greatest difficulty is ver. 4e. The 
difficulty here is chiefly in the use of the word 
son. Some of the views which have been held 
may be mentioned. Toy regards the verse as 
referring to man and explains e as follows : 
" To know a man's name and his son's name is 
to be well acquainted with him." He gives 



PROVERBS 



94 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XXX. 



his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst 
tell? 

5 Every word of God is pure : he is a shield unto 
them that put their trust in him. 

6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove 
thee, and thou be found a liar. 

7 Two things have I required of thee ; deny me 
them not before I die : 

8 Remove far from me vanity and lies : give me 
neither poverty nor riches ; feed me with food con- 
venient for me : 



also the following partial summary of other 
views: "On the supposition that the subject of 
the v. is ' God ' the son has been understood as 
=Israel (Midrash), or the demiurge (Levi ben- 
Gerson), or Christ (Procop. al.), or as an ad- 
umbration of the Alexandrian doctrine of the 
Logos (Ew.), or of the NT. doctrine of the Son 
of God (Del.)." 

The word name has various uses in the Old 
Testament; the most obvious is of course the 
ordinary use of the name as the designation of 
an individual. But often it means rather nature 
and character. The first phrase, What is his 
name, probably has the latter meaning, not 
what is God's name, but what is his nature, 
his character ; I should like to know something 
about him. The second phrase, And what 
is his son's name, is probably used in the 
former meaning, it is a request to designate the 
individual who can be called the Son of God. 
What is meant by this? The meaning of the 
word son in relation to God in the Old Testa- 
ment is well established. In the early history 
of Israel it was used as a designation of the 
nation Israel. Later the thought is narrowed to 
that of the Davidic king, so called as God's 
representative, standing in an especially inti- 
mate relation with him. The beginning of this 
usage is the promise made by God to David, 
recorded in 2 Sam. 7 : 14. This promise is defi- 
nitely alluded to in the words of Ps. 2:7. As 
we are here dealing with the relatively later 
times, it is probable that the meaning is the 
later one, individual not national, the word be- 
ing used here with 2 Sam. 7 : 14, and perhaps 
also Ps. 2 : 7, in mind. The question here would 
then mean, Who is the anointed Davidic king, 
who should be God's representative? This 
might have either one of two applications. It 
might be used when there was no Davidic king 
on the throne, and then the question would be, 
Where is the king who has been promised ? 
This might be during or after the exile. Or it 
might be used when the Davidic king was con- 
spicuously unworthy, and so this question would 
mean, How can he be God's representative, how 



What is his name, and what is his son's name, 
if thou knowest? 

5 Every word of God is tried : 

He is a shield unto them that trust in him. 

6 Add thou not unto his words, 

Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. 

7 Two things have I asked of thee ; 
Deny me them not before I die : 

8 Remove far from me vanity and lies : 
Give me neither poverty nor riches ; 

Feed me with the food that is needful for me : 



can he give me any of the information I seek 
concerning God ? The term Son of God is mani- 
festly incongruous as applied to him. This 
might be the case during the reign of Manas- 
seh, or at any time after the death of Josiah and 
before the exile. So far as this passage is con- 
cerned there is nothing to decide definitely be- 
tween these two views. See further the notes 
on ver. 8, 9 and 11-14. 

Thus far, then, we have Agur's desire for 
knowledge of God, a desire that is not gratified. 
It is a desire for some wondrous manifestation 
of God directly (ver. 4a-d), or a manifestation 
through his representative (ver. 4e). But he ob- 
tains no direct answer to these perplexed queries. 
He answers his own inquiries, however, by turn- 
ing in another direction for help. He has been 
seeking in his own experience (ver. 3), and in 
observation (ver. 4), and has failed. Ver. 5 and 
6 teach that God has manifested himself in his 
word, in the revelations previously made, and 
these are a sure dependence. The practical ad- 
monition follows, trust in that word, and do not 
seek to add to it by profitless speculation. Skep- 
ticism is thus only a stage in his experience. 

4. If thou knowest. (See Job 38 : 5.) 5. 

Tried, means tested and found genuine. It is 
the word used of the purification of metal in a 
furnace, and of its testing. Other passages 
which may be quoted for comparison with cer- 
tain parts of these verses (1-6) are the follow- 
ing. In general on 4, Job 38 ; on 4a, Gen. 11 : 
7 ; 35 : 13 ; b, Amos 4 : 13 ; Job 37 : 9 ; Ps. 135 : 
7 ; c, Prov. 8 : 27 f. ; Job 26 : 8 ; d, Isa. 45 : 22 ; 
52 : 10; Ps. 67 : 7 ; 98 : 3 ; on 6b, Job 13 : 4, 10. 

Ver. 7-33, except 10, 15, 17, 20, 32, 33, consist 
of proverbs containing groups of two or four 
things; see also note on ver. 15. For other ex- 
amples of a similar use of numbers see Amos 
1 : 3 to 2 : 8 ; Ps. 62 : 11 ; Job 5 : 19 ; 33 : 14 ; 40 : 
5. The divisions and subjects will be indicated 
in the notes. 

7-9. This is a prayer for deliverance from 
temptations, especially those which come from 
poverty and riches. 7. Have I asked, render, 
I ask. 8. Needful, probably better, sweeten*. 



Ch. XXX.] 



PROVERBS 



95 



9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is 
the Lord ? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the 
name of my God in vain. 

10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he 
curse thee, and thou be found guilty. 

11 There is a generation that curseth their father, 
and doth not bless their mother. 

12 There is a generation that are pure in their own 
eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 

13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their 
eyes ! and their eyelids are lifted up. 

14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, 
and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor 
from off the earth, and the needy from among men. 

15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, 
Give, give. There are three things that are never 
satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough : 

16 The grave ; and the bairen womb ; the earth 
that is not rilled with water ; and the fire that saith 
not, It is enough. 

17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despis- 



9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the 

Lord? 

Or lest I be poor, and steal, 

And use profanely the name of my God. 

10 Slander not a servant unto his master, 
Lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty. 

11 There is a generation that curseth their father, 
And doth not bless their mother. 

12 There is a generation that are pure in their own 

eyes, 

And yet are not washed from their filthiness. 

13 There is a generation, Oh how lofty are their 

eyes ! 

And their eyelids are lifted up. 

14 There is a generation whose teeth are as swords, 

and their jaw teeth as knives, 
To devour the poor from off the earth, and the 
needy from among men. 

15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, 

give. 

There are three things that are never satisfied, 
Yea, four that say not, Enough : 

16 The grave ; and the barren womb ; 

The earth that is not satisfied with water ; 
And the fire which saith not. Enough. 



9. Use profanely, usually interpreted as 
meaning, blaspheme by murmuring against 
God. But it seems more natural to interpret 
it here as in the similar phrase in Ezek. 36 : 20, 
use profanely by unworthy actions, give others 
an unworthy impression of God, here by steal- 
ing. Ver. 8 and 9 seem to be written in a time 
when extremes of riches and poverty were com- 
mon, which in both cases led to unfortunate 
results. This was true especially in the times 
shortly before the exile. 10b. The curse, hav- 
ing good reason, would have a result. Be held 
guilty, and so suffer for it in some way not 
specifically stated. This verse stands by itself 
here in thought. 

11-14 contain a description of the wicked- 
ness and oppression of the time of the writer. 
There is is supplied at the beginning of each 
verse. In Hebrew the verses are really exclam- 
atory, which adds to their force. The four 
verses describe respectively the unfilial men, 
the hypocrites, the proud, and the oppressors. 
Generation obviously refers to the writer's 
own generation. Of course this was not true of 
every individual, yet it must be understood as 
describing the general characteristics of his 
own time. It was, therefore, a time full of all 
kinds of wickedness and oppression. This 
sounds like the prophecies from the time of 
Amos to the exile, and suits the most of the 
later history of Judah, as well as Israel, al- 
though the latter is probably not to be specially 
considered. These verses, then, seem more ap- 
propriate to a period shortly before, than to one 
during or after the exile ; see notes on ver. 1-6. 
12b. (See isa. t i.) 13. The verse is similar 



to 6 : 17a. 14. From off the earth, from 
among men, the acts are described as being 
so oppressive as to exterminate the poor. 

15, 16 describe five insatiable things. 15a 
gives much trouble to commentators, who gen- 
erally agree, in fact, that the text must be 
emended, either by omitting a as a later inter- 
polation, or by adding a phrase giving the 
names of the daughters. The chief difficulties, 
however, are avoided by rendering a and b, 
Give (i.e., if you give) to the leech two daughters, 
there are three that are not satisfied. " Give " is 
repeated in the Hebrew ; it may be regarded as 
scribal repetition, dittogram, or, more probably, 
as simply designed to add emphasis. The thought 
is, If you give to the leech two daughters of her 
own, instead of being satisfied with the off- 
spring, as might be expected, the insatiability 
is simply trebled, because now there are three, 
all alike dissatisfied. The thought would be, in 
general, the leech is a type of some whom it is 
impossible to satisfy. Daughters is probably 
used, instead of children, simply because leech 
is feminine in Hebrew. Then the thought goes 
on to four other similar cases. 15c should be 
added to 16, and rendered, Four say not, 
Enough. The chief objection to the interpre- 
tation here given is that it breaks up the reg- 
ularity of the form of statement: three, four, 
as found also in ver. 18, 21, and 29. But that 
objection has very little force, when it is ob- 
served that in this way is obtained a suitable 
meaning without change of text, and further 
that there is great variety in the use of num- 
bers in such expressions, ver. 24 using four 
without the three. 



96 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XXX. 



eth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley 
shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. 

18 There be three things which are too wonderful 
for me, yea, four which I know not : 

19 The way of an eagle in the air ; the way of a 
serpent upon a rock ; the way of a ship in the midst 
of the sea ; and the way of a man with a maid. 

20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman ; she 
eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have 
done no wickedness. 

21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and 
for four which it cannot bear : 

22 For a servant when he reigneth ; and a fool 
when he is filled with meat ; 

23 For an odious woman when she is married ; 
and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. 

24 There be four things which are little upon the 
earth, but they are exceeding wise : 

25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they pre- 
pare their meat in the summer ; 

26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they 
their houses in the rocks ; 

27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth 
all of them by bands ; 

28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is 
in kings' palaces. 

29 There be three things which go well, yea, four 
are comely in going : 

30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and 
turneth not. away for any ; 

31 A greyhound ; an he goat also ; and a king, 
against whom there is no rising up. 



17 states the punishment of the unfilial son. 
Eagles, render, vultures. The verse says that 
the unfilial son shall die and be left unburied 
for the birds of prey to feed upon. 

18, 19 enumerate four wonderful things. 
The wonderful thing in each case is not that 
the act leaves no trace behind, as many have 
thought, but that in their very nature they are 
unusual, out of the ordinary course, contrary to 
the analogy of other things somewhat similar. 
Flying, especially for a large bird like an eagle, 
is wonderful, unlike the movements of other 
animals. So is the progress of a serpent with- 
out legs, even on a smooth rock. So also, to 
the Jewish conception, it was wonderful that a 
ship could go at all upon the sea, that mys- 
terious object, so full of vague terrors to them. 
In the fourth case, there is no reason to think, 
with most commentators, of copulation ; that 
could have been expressed more specifically. It 
is rather general, the thought of the mysterious 
attraction between a certain man and a certain 
woman. 

20 describes the hypocrisy of the adulteress. 
The verse has no connection with the thought 
of ver. 19. The probability is that it is not by 
the author of the rest of the chapter, although 
it is not necessary to consider it a gloss. More 



17 The eye that mocketh at his father, 
And despiseth to obey his mother, 

The ravens of the valley shall pick it out, 
And the young eagles shall eat it. 

18 There be three things which are too wonderful 

for me, 

Yea, four which I know not : 

19 The way of an eagle in the air ; 
The way of a serpent upon a rock ; 

The way of a ship in the midst of the sea ; 
And the way of a man with a maid. 

20 So is the way of an adulterous woman ; 
She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, 
And saith, I have done no wickedness. 

21 For three things the earth doth tremble, 
And for four, which it cannot bear : 

22 For a servant when he is king ; 

And a fool when he is filled with meat ; 

23 For an odious woman when she is married ; 
And an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. 

24 There be four things which are little upon the 

earth, 

But they are exceeding wise : 

25 The ants are a people not strong, 

Yet they provide their meat in the summer ; 

26 The conies are but a feeble folk, 

Yet make they their houses in the rocks ; 

27 The locusts have no king, 

Yet go they forth all of them by bands ; 

28 The lizard taketh hold with her hands, 
Yet is she in kings' palaces. 

29 There be three things which are stately in their 

march, 

Yea, four which are stately in going : 

30 The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, 
And turneth not away for any : 

31 The greyhound ; the he-goat also ; 

And the king, against whom there is no rising up. 



probably it is an isolated proverb, put into 
connection with the preceding verse by the last 
compiler on account of the mention of maid 
there, although the thought is entirely different. 
So does not refer to the preceding, but to b and 
c following ; thus would express it better. On 
b, see 9 : 17b. 

21-23 give an account of four unendurable 
things. 21b, render, And for four it cannot 
bear up. 22a. (see»:io.) In each of the four 
cases mentioned in ver. 22, 23 there is a great 
change of fortune for the better, which natu- 
rally produces arrogance. 23. Odious, lit- 
erally, hated, i. e., unattractive, one who was 
long unmarried. Is heir to, better, dispos- 
sesses, i. e., supplants. 

24-28 describe four things which are small 
but wise. 25. (sec 6 : 8.) 26. The conies, 
render, The rock badgers ; the technical term is 
the Hyrax syriacus, an animal about the size of 
a rabbit and having some resemblance to it. 
28a, render, The lizard thou canst seize with the 
hands. This is mentioned to indicate the small 
size of the lizard and its harmlessness. In spite 
of these things, however, it goes everywhere, as 
stated in b. 

29-31 describe four things which are stately. 
31. The greyhound should probably be ren- 



Ch. XXXI.] 



PROVERBS 



97 



32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thy- 
self, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand 
upon thy mouth. 

33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth 
butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth 
blood : so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. 



CH APTE 

1 THE woids of king Lemuel, the prophecy that 
his mother taught him. 

2 What, my son ? and what, the son of my womb? 
and what, the son of my vows? 

3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy 
ways to that which destroyeth kings. 

4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings 
to drink wine ; nor for princes strong drink : 

5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and per- 
vert the judgment of any of the afflicted. 

6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to 
perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. 

7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and re- 
member his misery no more. 

8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of 
all such as are appointed to destruction. 

9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead 
the cause of the poor and needy. 



32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, 
Or if thou hast thought evil, 

Lay thine hand upon thy mouth. 

33 For the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, 
And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth 

blood : 

So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. 
R XXXI . 

1 THE words of king Lemuel ; the oracle which 
his mother taught him. 

2 What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? 
And what, O son of my vows? 

3 Give not thy strength unto women, 

Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. 

4 It is not for kings, 0 Lemuel, it is not for kings 

to drink wine : 
Nor for princes to say. Where is strong drink ? 

5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, 

And pervert the judgement of any that is af- 
flicted. 

6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to 

perish, 

And wine unto the bitter in soul : 

7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, 
And remember his misery no more. 

8 Open thy mouth for the dumb, 

In the cause of all such as are left desolate. 

9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, 

And minister judgement to the poor and needy. 



dered, The war horse. B, render, and a king 
with whom an army rises up, i. e., for war, a king 
at the head of his army. This involves slight 
changes in the Hebrew text, reading Dj3 /]T}, 
Myll qdm, for Dip 1 ?!*, 'alqum, 1 but it is gener- 
ally conceded that the Hebrew as it stands is 
untranslatable and some change is necessary. 

32, 33 give advice against talkativeness. 
32b, render, Or if thou hast planned. This is 
the only meaning in accordance with the usage 
of the Hebrew word. The thought of the verse 
is : if you occupy an exalted position either as the 
result of foolish conceit or of mature delibera- 
tion, in either case keep silence as the only safe 
way. 33. This verse is probably connected in 
a general way with the preceding, c giving the 
result of disregarding the advice of ver. 32, while 
a and b are illustrative comparisons. 



Chap. 31. This chapter contains two divi- 
sions, ver. 1-9 and 10-31, of different author- 
ship. See the Introduction. The first division 
consists of the title, ver. 1, and of advice to a 
king given by his mother. 1. The only natural 
rendering is : The words of Lemuel, Icing of 
Massa, which his mother taught, him. Massa is 
not certainly known as a country from the Old 
Testament. The word is found only in Gen. 
25 : 14 and 1 Chron. 1 : 30, where it is the name 
of one of the sons of Ishmael. A country named 
from him would naturally be located in or near 
North Arabia. A country of this name and 
location is mentioned in the Assyrian inscrip- 
1 See " American Journal of Sen 



tions. This is probably the country meant here. 
See also the Introduction. 2. What in all three 
cases implies something like : shall I counsel 
thee? Son of my vows means a son given 
in answer to vows, as in 1 Sam. 1 : 11. The 
word son, 13, bar, used three times, is Aramaic. 
The word kings in ver. 3 has also the Aramaic 
form of the plural. 3. That which destroy- 
eth, render, Those ivho destroy ; it is really 
feminine and parallel to women. The verse 
is a warning against licentiousness. Kings. 
(See note ou ver. 2.) 4. Render as an exhortation, 
Let it not be. for Icings, etc. B, render, And let 
not strong d.rinh be for princes. This rendering 
involves a change of consonant, reading 'al, 
for 'X, 'I, ( Q"ri'), suggested by Kamphausen fol- 
lowing G., in a word almost certainly corrupt 
and changed in the Q f rf. This rendering has the 
advantage of making the form of expression uni- 
form throughout the verse. 8. Dumb probably 
means not those physically dumb, who would be 
few, but those who through fear or other diffi- 
culties are not able properly to present their 
cases. Left desolate should probably be ren- 
dered unfortunate. 

10-31 are an alphabetic poem, i. e., a poem 
in which the successive verses begin in Hebrew 
with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in 
order. No strict analysis of this poem can 
be given. The alphabetic form of structure 
is not favorable to consecutive development of 
thought, as the alphabetic psalms also show. 
Yet there is a general order of thought, but not 
lie Languages," Vol. XIX., p. 54. 



98 



PROVERBS 



[Ch. XXXL 



10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price 
is far above rubies. 

11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in 
her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 

12 She will do him good and not evil all the days 
of her life. 

13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh will- 
ingly with her hands. 

14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth 
her food from afar. 

15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giv- 
eth meat to her household, and a portion to her 
maidens. 

16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with 
the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 

17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and 
strengtheneth her arms. 

18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good : 
her candle goeth not out by night. 

19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her 
hands hold the distaff. 

20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor ; yea, 
she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 

21 She is not afraid of the snow for lier house- 
hold : for all her household are clothed with 
scarlet. 

22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry ; 
her clothing is silk and purple. 

23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he 
sitteth among the elders of the land. 

24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and de- 
li vereth girdles unto the merchant. 

25 Strength and honour are her clothing ; and she 
shall rejoice in time to come. 



carried out consecutively. Ver. 10-12 consist 
of general praise of the worthy woman. Ver. 
13-15 tell of her activity in connection with 
domestic affairs, which is also the thought of 
ver. 19, 21, 22, and 27. Ver. 16-18 speak of her 
financial activity in a more general way, and 
this is also the thought of ver. 24. Ver. 20 tells 
of her benevolence to the poor. Ver. 23 speaks 
of the distinction she confers on her husband. 
Ver. 25 speaks in general of her prosperity. Ver. 
26 tells of her wisdom. Ver. 28, 29 describe the 
recognition of her merits by her family. Ver. 
30, 31 are a summing up by the poet in general 
praise of such a woman. 

10. A virtuous {worthy) woman. The 
rendering of the A. R. V. is the better. The 
same phrase is found in 12 : 4a. Who can 
find, here evidently means: she is rare. The 
same phrase is found in 20: 6b. Price is the 
literal rendering; the real meaning is worth. 
Rubies, render, corals, and see note on 3 : 15. 
12. Good and not evil means benefit and 
not injury. 15. Task is, literally, portion. 
This may be either of food or of work. Many 
take it here in the former meaning, but the 
latter is preferable because food is included in 
the statement of b, inasmuch as servants are 
regularly included in household. 18b. It is 
stated to be the custom of the Palestinian 
Bedouins at the present time to burn a light all 
night except in times of great adversity, when 
they cannot afford to buy oil. Hence this clause 



10 A virtuous woman who can find ? 
For her price is far above rubies. 

11 The heart of her husband trusteth in her, 
And he shall have no lack of gain. 

12 She doeth him good and not evil 
All the days of her life. 

13 She seeketh wool and flax, 

And worketh willingly with her hands. 

14 She is like the merchant-ships ; 
She bringeth her food from afar. 

15 She riseth also while it is yet night, 
And giveth meat to her household, 
And their task to her maidens. 

16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: 

With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vine- 
yard. 

17 She girdeth her loins with strength, 
And maketh strong her arms. 

18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is profit- 

able: 

Her lamp goeth not out by night. 

19 She layeth her hands to the distaff. 
And her hands hold the spindle. 

20 She spreadeth out her hand to the poor ; 

Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household ; 
For all her household are clothed with scarlet. 

22 She maketh for herself carpets of tapestry ; 
Her clothing is fine linen and purple. 

23 Her husband is known in the gates, 

When he sitteth among the elders of the land. 

24 She maketh linen garments and selleth them ; 
And delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 

25 Strength and dignity are her clothing ; 
And she laugheth at the time to come. 



is thought by some to mean : she is in a pros- 
perous condition, with allusion to that practice. 
But this is an improbable view. There is no 
evidence that the custom mentioned was ancient. 
It would in any case be inappropriate here, for 
the meaning then would only be : she is not in 
extreme destitution, which would be too weak. 
Hence it is better to regard the clause as another 
statement of her industry, describing her work 
as lasting long in the night. 21. Snow is not 
used as synonymous with winter in general ; that 
would rather be rain in the common usage. It 
is rather the coldest part of winter. In the 
higher regions of Palestine, certainly about Je- 
rusalem, there are several days of snow every 
winter, but seldom enough to remain more than 
a day at a time. Scarlet. Some have thought 
it strange that there should be here no mention 
of the warmth of the garments. But scarlet 
garments were always of wooi, so that is im- 
plied, as it is in the similar word used here 
in G. 22. Carpets of tapestry, render 
simply, coverings, as in the case of the same 
word in 7 : 16. It probably means especially 
bed coverings. 23. Known implies also the 
idea, respected, honored. Among means as one 
of. The meaning is not simply that he was 
accustomed to sit in the gates, but that he was 
one of the ruling body, the elders. 24. De- 
livereth means in trade, i. e., she sells. 25. 
Strength and dignity refer not to bodily 
strength but to financial prosperity. B means 



Ch. XXXI.] 



PROVERBS 



99 



26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom ; and in 
her tongue is the law of kindness. 

27 She looketh well to the ways of her house- 
hold, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 

28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed ; 
her husband also, and he praiseth her. 

29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but 
thou excellest them all. 

30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain : but a 
woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. 

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands ; and let 
her own works praise her in the gates. 



26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom ; 
And the law of kindness is on her tongue. 

27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, 
And eateth not the bread of idleness. 

28 Her children rise up, and call her blessed ; 
Her husband also, and he praiseth her, laying : 

29 Many daughters have done virtuously, 
But thou excellest them all. 

30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain : 

But a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be 
praised. 

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands ; 

And let her works praise her in the gates. 



that her circumstances are so prosperous that 
she has no fear for the future. 26. The law 
of kindness, render, Kindly teaching. 28. 
Rise up, as a preliminary to speech. The 
thought is most naturally of their utterances in 
the gates. 29. Daughters here and in several 
other passages is equivalent to women, but it is 
apparently used as a more complimentary term. 
Virtuously (worthily) ; the rendering of the 

LofC, 



A. R. V. is the better. 30. Favour (grace); 
the rendering of the A. E,. V. is the better. The 
meaning of the verse is that grace and beauty 
are externals and transient, but fear of Jehovah 
is internal and permanent. 31. Fruit of her 
hands is a general phrase, including naturally 
prosperity, enjoyment, and praise. The last 
thought is made the specific one in b. 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



BY ( 

GEORGE Ei MERRILL, D. D. 

President Colgate University 



MAY 27 1905 
7?Ua..zs: ft*sr 

OUlSS CSL XXc Not 
COPY B. 



Copyright 1905 by the 
American Baptist Publication Society 

Published April, 1905 



3From tbc Society's own fliress 



INTRODUCTION 



The book which bears the title "The Song of Songs which is unto Solomon," 
stands first in the group of Hebrew writings called the Megilloth, or llolls, the 
group containing the Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. 
This group is included in the third great division of the Old Testament, the Hagi- 
ographa, or The Writings. The Song of Songs also falls within the class of the 
Chokma, or Wisdom Literature, that form of writing in which the Hebrews sought 
the solution of moral and ethical problems. Of these it is the most poetic and the 
most dramatic in form. The Proverbs excelled all other books of the Wisdom 
Literature in the wide range of their moral vision and in their epigrammatic treat- 
ment of the issues considered. Job excelled in the statement of a difficulty ex- 
perienced by all mankind, and in the sustained vindication of the Deity in his ways 
with men. Some of the Psalms excelled in their quick flights toward the source of 
light, and in their inspired faith and religious feeling. The Song of Songs excelled 
in its selection of a common human theme, lying close to every human heart, and 
in the lyric and dramatic force draped in the fairest imagery, with which it reaches 
its ethical goal. The whole group of the Chokma is peculiar in not dealing with 
events or laws or customs as such. It is given to matters of character, either of 
the individual or society. Its purpose is instruction and inspiration, the produc- 
tion of right thought and life. The Song of Songs, rightly considered, is of this 
character, though it often has been so greatly misjudged as to seem immoral and 
degrading. It will be found to teach a lesson that may well commend it to every 
devout mind. 

Author, Title, and Date. 

The title, like most of those of the psalms and many of the books of the Old 
Testament, is open to question. In this case a singular verbal peculiarity at once 
attracts the attention. "The Song of Songs which is unto Solomon," is the exact 
English transcript of the Hebrew words. The pronoun " which " is written in full 
in this title ; but in the book itself it nowhere appears in its full form, but is always 
indicated only by the initial letter of the Hebrew word. Would the author of the 
book have departed from his usual custom if he had written the title to the Song? 

Moreover, the contents of the book make it extremely improbable that a royal 
lover like Solomon would thus record his unsuccessful wooing, and, more than that, 
depict scenes and lay down principles distinctly hostile to his own manner of life 
and to the customs of the day sanctioned by royal regulations. Unless the general 
scope of the book is misconceived by the large majority of interpreters such would 
be the case if Solomon wrote it. Only one view of the contents could justify a 
Solomonic authorship — that by which Solomon and the lover to whom the heroine 
remains true are one and the same person, the king masquerading from time to 
time as a shepherd ; for the work might then be regarded as a clever romance in 

iii 



iv 



INTRODUCTION 



which the lover gains his purpose, and, if he were the author, would not hesitate 
to set forth his success in the most alluring manner, that success being due to his 
personal attractions rather than to his royal station. But such an interpretation 
justly seems to most scholars to be violent; and if the author had any ethical aim 
at all, this interpretation would frustrate all such aim, for it would present Solomon 
as seeking only to add one more wife to his harem with no opposition on the part 
of the maiden, and it would record his success. That would be the limit of meaning 
to be ascribed to the book, a limit that can hardly be imagined. 

But if we suppose that some poet, quite in accord with literary custom, seized 
upon the person and history of Solomon as giving special force and point to his 
poem, introducing him as a character, while he shows the peculiar evils of his reign 
and lifts into the pure air and sunlight a virtue that had become hidden and fouled 
beneath the institutions to which royalty had given its sanction and example, we 
find a natural explanation of the book. And then, if at a later time some editor 
wrote at the beginning of it a title, ascribing it to the monarch whose name appears 
in it so frequently, a monarch who had been famed for his literary skill and the 
multitude of his productions, we have only to assume that the editor was no worse 
than a multitude of learned interpreters have been, in failing to grasp the real 
force of the poem, which is against the ascription to Solomon. 

As for the meaning of the Hebrew title itself we see no reason for giving it an 
intention not forced upon other titles of the same verbal structure. We need not 
see in it a " Song of Songs ascribed to Solomon," or "pertaining to Solomon," 
with no reference to authorship. It is the usual form for ascription of authorship : 
The Song of Songs composed by Solomon. The difficulties and the probabilities 
are equally met if we assign its writing to a later hand. But while we do this the 
appropriateness of the title itself, the Song of Songs, cannot be questioned. For 
length, for artistic structure, for beauty of diction, for loftiness of purpose, few 
songs of the Hebrew literature could surpass it, and in some of these respects none 
equaled it. It is not merely one of the many songs of Solomon, as some inter- 
preters would assert. Not even the unknown and somewhat obtuse writer of the 
title would descend to such weakness as that. It is the song of songs, the pre-emi- 
nent song, the most beautiful and excellent of all songs. 

If Solomon did not compose the poem, who did? It is a question that can be 
answered only with conjecture. Many indications would show that it was probably 
written by some poet who lived in the time of Solomon, or, far more likely, a little 
later. There is a reference to Tirzah as a beautiful and well-known place ; but 
Tirzah had no particular prominence during Solomon's reign nor at a very long 
time after it closed. The first monarch of the northern kingdom made it a place 
of residence, and practically it was the capital of the kingdom under the m on arch s 
who followed Jeroboam. It probably retained some of its prestige after the court 
was removed from it to the city of Samaria. In northern Israel it was famed for 
its beautiful situation, but a writer much later than its time of importance would 
hardly be likely to couple its name with that of Jerusalem when speaking of places 
famed for beauty or strength. Whoever wrote the poem was closely familiar with 
Solomon's kingdom and with the details of scenery and customs in Palestine. An 
author of late date and foreign origin, as some commentators suppose, would hardly 



INTRODUCTION 



v 



have been so familiar with the scenes and objects of the period of Solomon as this 
writer was. Nor do the foreign words and the names of productions from foreign 
lands, like myrrh and incense, indicate that the author lived at a time when 
Aramaic and Greek and Persian influence had corrupted the language, introduced 
foreign luxury, and debased the customs. Such foreign productions were exceed- 
ingly common in Palestine in the early monarchy, as we know from the story of 
the commerce of the land, the most distant countries sending their riches by sea, 
or by the ships of the desert, to enhance the glory of the kingdom. And while 
Graetz makes a strong argument for the late date of the Song from the Aramaisms 
and from a few words apparently of Persian and Greek origin, Driver affirms that these 
peculiarities are no more than were to be expected upon the northern frontiers and 
in provinces having constant dealings with foreign peoples. It was the beginning 
of the "Galilean dialect," that became so marked a feature of the north at a later 
time. Graetz's long argument from the Greek luxury evidently contributing to the 
circumstantial richness of the poem may be dismissed as of little weight, since 
"marble pillars" and "tapestries" for the throne and palanquin are as purely 
Oriental as Occidental in their origin and use, and at the time of Solomon they 
were common accessories of his royal state. We see no reason for the narrow 
limits of possibility assigned by Graetz for the composition of the poem, b. c. 230- 
218. With quite as much probability its author may have lived in the early years 
of the northern kingdom, a time, as Ewald points out, especially inviting for the 
criticism of Solomon and the ethics of his court by a poet who wrote for Israel 
while the hostilities of the disruption were fresh. It may be concluded that while 
no certain date and no definite author can be named, the poem had its origin in 
the imagination of some poet of northern Israel at a time not long subsequent to 
the division of the kingdom. 

The Purpose and Canonicity of the Poem. 

Two points of view are to be considered : First, what was the purpose of the 
author in composing the Song? Second, a question quite as important for the 
determination of its character as sacred Scripture, What was considered its aim 
and scope at the time of its admission to the canon ? 

It is with reference to these questions that Mr. Adeney, in the Expositor's 
Bible, says: "The Song of Solomon is a puzzle to the commentator." Delitzsch 
begins by the assertion, "The Song is the most obscure book of the Old Testa- 
ment." Another writer declares it to be "The enigma of the Old Testament. " 
Farrar shows the difficulty by giving a hasty glance at some of the explanations 
that have been offered: "It represents the love of God for the congregation of 
Israel ; it relates the history of the Jews from the Exodus to the Messiah ; it is a 
consolation to afflicted Israel ; it is an occult history ; it represents the union of 
the divine soul with the earthly body, or of the material with the active intellect ; 
it is the conversation of Solomon and Wisdom ; it describes the love of Christ for 
his church ; it is historico-prophetic ; it is Solomon's thanksgiving for a happy 
reign ; it is a love song unworthy a place in the canon ; it treats of man's recon- 
ciliation to God ; it is a prophecy of the church from the crucifixion till after the 
Reformation ; it is the seven days' epithalamium on the marriage of Solomon with 



vi 



INTRODUCTION 



the daughter of Pharaoh ; it is a magazine for direction and consolation under 
every condition ; it treats in hieroglyphic of the sepulchre of the Saviour, his 
death, and the Old Testament saints ; it refers to Hezekiah and the Ten Tribes ; it 
is written in glorification of the Virgin Mary." 

1. It must be said that the Song itself contains no hint of any particular relig- 
ious tendency. There are no references to worship. There are no teachings of a 
particularly spiritual character. On the surface the poem appears to be merely a 
poem of human love, pure and unconquerable. The author certainly betrayed no 
conscious effort to depict by allegory or type any truth whatever. It was only for 
a much later time and for men already strongly prejudiced toward such methods 
of interpretation to see such hidden meanings in the text. The slight hints of an 
allegorical sense found in the translation of certain words by the Septuagint can- 
not be urged to prove that two centuries before Christ the book was regarded as 
allegorical. The author wrote a poem depicting the beauty of a pure and stead- 
fast human love. But the author, as clearly, intended to teach with emphasis the 
great wrong of all illicit love, and the danger of attempting to force the natural 
affections prematurely. The single refrain of the Song in its three-fold repetition 
is like the moral of a fable. Our Authorized version gives no idea of its force, mak- 
ing it a simple, somewhat inane, request that the lover shall not be aroused from 
sleep until he is ready ! But the true translation, the spirit of which is accuratel}' 
caught by the Revised version, makes the refrain of strong and beautiful import : 

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, 
By the roes and by the hinds of the field, 
That ye stir not up, nor awaken love, 
Until it please. 

Such love as this is the theme of the Song, a love as natural in its spontaneity and 
as true in its expression as that which the wild creatures of the forests and moun- 
tains show, subject to none of the artificialities of human conventions, free from 
the excesses and intrigues of courts, simple and true as God meant it to be ; 

strong as death, 
Many waters cannot quench love, 
Neither can the floods drown it : 

If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, 
He would utterly be contemned. 

This is the author's theme. He sets it forth with wonderful skill. He depicts 
the faithfulness of a pledged love amid all the blandishments of Solomon's harem. 
With a boldness unexampled he imagines a village maiden of marvelous beauty 
who dares to repulse the king. The monarch who has sought through all his realms 
and at foreign courts for beauties to fill his palace, the monarch whose mere desire 
was law, whose smile was a command, whose favor was an honor supreme, is with- 
stood by this faithful girl, who has pledged her heart to a shepherd ! Apparently 
Solomon accepts the gage of battle, amused at its novelty, allowing himself even 
to fail in the end, as the tearful beauty of this girl, the only one who had ever 
shrunk from the royal alliance, wrought upon his pity and aroused somewhat of 
the wisdom that was always a mark of his character and of which he had written 



INTRODUCTION 



vii 



so much. It is a bold conception of the poet ; none bolder ever won the effort of 
a writer or charmed the reader by its suspense. But the extremity, the very ex- 
travagance of the case, set forth most perfectly the ethical lesson, and as never 
before, perhaps never since, the value and the moral height of a steadfast love and 
of sexual purity were displayed. For our times this lesson justifies the book as of 
high ethical, if not religious, value. Christ taught that personal and social purity 
are essential fruits of his Spirit and word. Nor are our times so different from 
those of the poem that its lesson is not needed. The vices of Paris and London 
and New York are similar to those of Jerusalem and Samaria in the times of Solo- 
mon or Ahab. And even in the common walks of life and in social spheres that 
are free from the temptations of luxury and effeminacy, how large a proportion of 
the misery would disappear if the love between men and women were as pure and 
faithful as that between the Shulamite and her shepherd ! 

2. But the Jews were not content with this purpose of the author, and they 
did not cease to question the right of the book to a place in their list of sacred 
books until an allegorical drapery was put over its meaning, to clothe the other- 
wise offensive sensualism of the text. Even then the rabbis advised that it should 
not be read by persons under the age of thirty. Nor can we wonder greatly at 
their hesitation. No such book to-day would win a vote in any ecclesiastical 
assembly unless it were plainly indicated that a divine inspiration lay at its source. 
And so it was believed to cover a reference to the religious history of the nation. 
The maiden was made to signify the chosen Israel ; God was her espoused ; Solo- 
mon and his wicked court were the blandishments of the world, the temptations 
whereby Israel so often was tempted, and in actual experience had fallen. 
But the ideal Israel was the faithful Israel, beloved and chaste. Occasionally 
the thought wavered, as in the Peshitto the title is translated to mean the 
Wisdom of Wisdoms, and in the Septuagint Wisdom is the heroine of the poem. 
Instantly from these interpretations difficulties arise that seem insurmountable, 
and in the allegorical method the student was thrown back upon the application 
to Israel, though this really was absurdly inadequate. At last the strife over the 
right of the book to a place in the canon was settled somewhat summarily in A. d. 
90. In this year, at Jamnia, the claims of the two books, Ecclesiastes and the 
Song of Songs, were formally discussed, and the last stage in controversies over the 
Jewish canon was reached. The school of Hillel, which sought to find a text of 
Scripture for every tradition, and, with more liberality than was shown by the 
school of Shammai, judged leniently departures from the Law, and desired to extend 
as much as possible the scope and volume of the sacred writings. Rabbi Akiba of 
this school was particularly earnest to secure the establishment of these two books 
as authoritative. He had himself declared, for he was "of very rigid mind," that 
" those who read the outside books have no part in the life to come." Such books 
by a special rule were without the protection of sanctity. The manuscripts that 
were too holy to be used for common purposes were said "to defile the hands" of 
those who used them — a strange contradiction, but not alone in rabbinical tradi- 
tion. Did the Song of Songs defile the hands? One passage (Jadajim 3 : 5) says : 
"All holy scriptures, even the Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes, defile the hands." 
Rabbi Judah says: "The Song of Solomon defiles the hands, but Ecclesiastes is 



viii 



INTRODUCTION 



doubtful." Eabbi Joses says: " Ecclesiastes does not defile the hands, but the 
Song of Solomon is doubtful." Eabbi Simon says: "Ecclesiastes is among the 
points on which the school of Shammai decides in a manuer to aggravate diffi- 
culty." Eabbi Simon ben Asai says : "I have received it as the tradition of the 
seventy-two elders that on the day that Eabbi Eleazar ben Azariah was named 
president, it was decided that the Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes defile the 
hands." In general the school of Shammai said: "Ecclesiastes does not defile 
the hands," while the school of Hillel held to the sacredness of that book. Eabbi 
Akiba silenced debate with the words : "No one in Israel has ever doubted that 
the Song of Songs defiles the hands. For no day in the history of the world is 
worth the day when the Song of Songs was given to Israel. For all the Hagi- 
ographa are holy, but the Song of Solomon is a holy of the holies. If there has 
been any dispute it referred only to Ecclesiastes." Akiba was a violent partisan, 
and it has been well suggested that partisans are likely to speak loudest where 
their positions are weakest. In this case every one knew that the doubt had been 
great and the dispute long over this book, but Akiba was of great authority and 
thus the debate was closed. It only remains to be said that the early Christian 
interpreters had no hesitation in following the leading of the Jewish interpreters, 
with such differences as the case demanded. Origen adapted the Song to Christian 
allegory. The long succession of interpreters cannot be traced fully in this place, 
but the titles and synopses of our Authorized version sufficiently indicate the 
results of their work in fixing the allegorical references for the English reader. If 
we are to choose the true way we must go back to the author's thought and the 
simple meaning of the poem, as we have indicated. 

But before leaving this portion of our subject, it will be well to take up one 
or two of the more important allegorical references of the poem, that we may see 
somewhat in detail what they involve, and how impossible it is to hold to them in 
any reasonable interpretation. Suppose that Solomon in the poem is understood 
to be the type of Christ and the beautiful Shulamite the type of the church, for 
this is the conception with which the mystics are best satisfied. Now, whatever 
Solomon may have been as the type of Christ from his being the son of David and 
the ruler of Israel, his relations to his harem and to the lascivious customs that 
his introduction of idolatry brought into his court are far away from anything that 
could be found in the nature of Christianity. In his youth Solomon was an ideal 
monarch. But in his age he was one of the greatest of voluptuaries. And his 
success in winning this maiden of the poem, which this interpretation requires, is 
only the addition of one more favorite to the number of those already within his 
palace. Where is the spiritual or moral lesson in this, and where can any paral- 
lelism be found between it and the relations of Christ and his bride as they are 
portrayed in the New Testament? How can it be that a poem that introduces a 
royal voluptuary as its hero, that makes the addition of another wife to the seven 
hundred or more already in his harem the main theme, that paints the excesses 
of his court, the intrigues and jealousies of his palace, and sets forth graphically 
the feelings of the lovers toward each other in such surroundings — how can it be 
that such a poem portrays the relations of Christ to his church, or of Christ to 
the individual soul ? It is not adequate to answer that Solomon is represented as 



INTRODUCTION ix 

loving the Shulamite more than any other, and that she is the one pearl, the lily 
among thorns, chosen above all the women of Jerusalem as his bride, for the 
church has no rivals, however inferior, in the affections of her Lord. Nor can we 
resort to the explanation that Solomon was converted from his evil ways by the 
pure love of the peasant maiden, for this only complicates the reference and the 
comparison with Christian conditions becomes unthinkable. On the other hand, 
if Solomon be regarded not as the hero of the poem, and the shepherd lover 
represent the Bridegroom either of the ancient Israel or the Christian church, and 
if Solomon and the blandishments of his court represent the snares of the world, 
from which the chaste soul flees, then it is difficult to see how the Shulamite, given 
over to the power of the monarch and court that are typical of the world, can 
represent the church or the Christian, for she is wholly beyond the aid of her lover 
whom she sees only in her dreams, and he never comes to her for her comfort or 
release ; her final escape is only by the good grace of Solomon himself, a case 
hardly comparable with the deliverance of the Christian from the snares of the 
world through the power of his Lord. One must strain the poem a great deal to 
make it fit such a theory. 

Moreover, by any such allegorical or typical theory, how strange becomes the 
fact that the writers of the New Testament make no use of this book in teaching 
spiritual truth. Not a word is to be found in the New Testament applying this 
Song or any part of it to the relations between Christ and his church, although 
similar figures are used. If Origen was right in the ten volumes that he devoted 
to an allegorical interpretation of the Song ; if Bernard of Clairvaux was right in 
pouring out the rapture of his soul upon the eighty-six homilies of spiritual expo- 
sition, which after all brought him at the time of his death only to the end of the 
second chapter of the poem ; what an inexplicable omission it was on the part of 
Paul and John not to make use of such a mine of wealth for the explanation of 
the relations of the believer with the Lover of his soul. It is surely the greatest 
of the wonders of the Bible, that a book so marked in its religious force, so apt in 
the parallelism of its language with the natural expressions of ecstatic devotion, 
should have remained without a word of quotation or appeal from the great 
teachers of Christian thought and experience. While such a negative argument 
would prove nothing if the prima facie evidence of the poem itself were in favor of 
a mystical interpretation, it proves much in view of the admitted fact that the 
literal reading is entirely without hint of mystical force. The burden of proof lies 
with him who asserts the spiritual interpretation. 

But it may be asked whether the rejection of the allegorical and typical 
methods of interpretation involves the entire disuse of the Song for spiritual pur- 
poses. Must it be regarded simply as a pleasant bit of literature, with a high 
moral import, and may it never be used, as so many devout souls have loved to 
use it, to indicate their relations with Jesus and their aspirations for eternal and 
perfect happiness with him ? The answer is to be found in the actual use of such 
relations as those depicted in the poem by the writers of the Bible, and by many 
who have seen in it illustrations of spiritual relations just as they have also drawn 
such illustrations from historic events, like the crossing of Jordan, the gift of 
manna, the smitten rock, etc. Turn to the many biblical passages wherein the 



X 



INTRODUCTION 



true or false love of man and woman is used, not allegorically, not typically, but 
by way of illustrating the relations between the soul and its God. Then we shall 
see how, even though the writer of the Song had no such thought as his prime 
motive, the figures of the poem may suggest to the discerning mind spiritual com- 
parisons. See how Israel is warned against forsaking for apparent gain the ever- 
lasting love of Jehovah (Exod. 34 : 15 ; Deut. 31 : 16 ; Jer. 3 : 9, etc.). Note how 
God calls Israel by the tenderest names, bride and wife (Isa. 54 : 5 ; 62 : 4, 5 ; 
Hos. 2 : 14-23). Recall the New Testament figures, the church as the bride of 
Christ in a "mystical union" (Eph. 5 : 24-32 ; Rev. 21 : 2, 9 ; 22 : 17). We shall 
hardly be in error, then, if we allow such a passage in the Song as, "My beloved 
is the chief among ten thousand," to suggest to us the parallel that Christ, the 
beloved of the soul, is beyond compare, "altogether lovely." Or if we read : "His 
banner over me is love," the words may indeed illustrate to us the ruling and pro- 
tecting power of the Lord, whose love ever surrounds the people of his choice. 
We may see in her, who "looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, bright as 
the sun, terrible as an army with banners," an illustration of the invincible church, 
whom the Lord loves with his whole heart. But all this is the farthest from view- 
ing the poem as intending to teach such thoughts, hiding them under the form of 
allegory, or suggesting them by types. And it must not be forgotten that the mood 
of the poem is not of this sort, and that we generally shall do better to win from 
its words only the natural, simple, and healthful lesson of the beauty, the rightful- 
ness of a pure human affection, a love that was as truly instituted by God as any 
law of our being, and that is as sacred as any religious emotion. 

The Poetic Form. 

The attempts to place the Song in one or another class of poetic composition 
according to modern terminology have been many and varied. Pure drama, with 
definite divisions into acts and scenes, even with probable presentation upon the 
stage, has been one claim. Other scholars have seen only a collection of love 
songs strung together upon the slenderest dramatic thread and having no real 
connection with each other. Herder, De Wette, Magnus, Bleek, and latest of all, 
Conder, take this view. Conder finds a remarkable similarity between the different 
parts of the poem and Arab love songs of the present time. Some see history 
depicted, and to some it is clearly an epic. Delitzsch regards it as a drama in 
very exact form, with six acts and two scenes to each act. Ewald holds the same 
opinion as to its form with difference as to the divisions and speakers. Renan 
makes the dramatic form emphatic. Graetz goes so far as to ridicule the dramatic 
hypothesis, and declares that there is only one speaker, Shulamith, with possibly 
the exception of a few lines uttered by a chorus, an opinion, it seems to us, im- 
possible to hold. W. R. Griffis, whose excellent book "The Lily Among Thorns," 
is within the reach of all English readers, pronounces the dramatic structure to be 
very evident, and he commits what seems to us to be the common fault of making 
the analysis too elaborate, sometimes disregarding entirely the natural force of the 
Hebrew parallelism. Moulton calls the work a "lyric idyl," a suite of seven 
idyls. So the opinions vary. Nor is it strange that attempts to classify an ancient 
production, an outgrowth of times whose literary forms were wholly different from 



INTRODUCTION 



xi 



those now prevailing, should find no single term under which the book can be 
placed without hesitation. The difficulty is enhanced by the entire absence of 
any directions or rubrics in the work itself. Ecclesiastes declares itself to be the 
utterance of one man. The book of Job has its own clearly marked dialogue. 
The Song leaves all divisions to be seen only from changes of number, gender, or 
the variation of figures and the tenor of the speech. Thus indefinite, the matter 
is left to the insight and acumen of each reader, and variety of opinion is in- 
evitable. To us, while the lyrical character of much of the poem is evident, its 
dramatic structure is no less plain. According to the strict definitions of drama 
as "pure presentation," having a certain mechanical structure, with designated 
places for the scenes, with entrances and exits defined, with characters never con- 
fused with one another and dialogue always proceeding toward one anticipated 
end, definitions of which some might well be questioned, the poem is not a pure 
drama. But it is dramatic. At least three different characters speak with each 
other. The theme is one, and the action proceeds with no retrogressions, if 
rightly considered. The action is lively, the interest is sustained through all variety 
of scene and every form of speech. Yet we feel that the poem never could be 
acted in its present form, and we know that at any time, early or late, in Jewish 
history the genius of the people was averse to any such productions as those that 
delighted Greece and amused Rome. Can more be said than that the Song of 
Songs is dramatic — that it has many features of the drama without its full and 
perfect form ? 

The Contents and Outline. 

We discern three characters who take part in the speech of the poem. The 
heroine is a maiden called by the name of her native town, Shulamith, or, more 
exactly, the Shulamith, from Shulem or Shunem, the village upon the slope of the 
" Little Hermon," opposite Jezreel toward the north. Here (2 Kings 4 : 8) was the 
dwelling-place of the "great woman " who rendered to Elisha her hospitality with 
such exceeding reward, and here Abishag, fairest of her time, was born. From the 
slopes above the town through an opening in the hills Nazareth glinted like a star 
of promise. Below lay the historic plain of Esdraelon. On the western horizon 
Carmel raised its brow to the sky and bathed its feet in the sea, while in the east 
Mount Tabor beckoned the way toward the Jordan. The mountains of Gilboa rose 
toward the south. Luxuriant gardens and groves of fruit and olive trees lay 
around. Abundant waters crossed the plain, like the brook Kishon, and fell away 
westward to the Great Sea and eastward to the Jordan, beyond which loomed the 
purple hills across the Ghor. What girl born here could ever forget her early home, 
however the luxurious surroundings of a court might afterward pamper her life ? 
And if she left here a lover to whom she was already pledged, how could she fail 
to be homesick and despairing even with a monarch at her side ? This is the 
conception of the poet. His heroine is a Shulamite. Her heart is in this sweet 
homeland. Her ear is deaf to the king's appeals. 

Solomon is also a character in the poem. He has found this girl in the north, 
or she has been brought to him as Abishag, another Shulamite of great beauty, 
was brought to David by the minions of the palace, who were always on the search 
for the supply of the harem. But something about this girl has awakened in the 



xii 



INTRODUCTION 



king's breast a sentiment of pity. She is no simpering fool, glad to be set among 
the scenes of luxury, honored by sharing with hundreds of others the king's de- 
sires. Nor is she the shrinking, trembling slave who cowers at the feet of her 
master, too ready to do his will. She brings a surprise into the harem as fresh and 
breezy as her northern hills. It is a new experience for Solomon. She retains the 
free spirit of her life as a shepherdess. She defends her cause as a keeper of a vine- 
yard would fight back marauders. Her virtue is like a vineyard tower, and her 
love is like "a wall with turrets of defense upon it." Mere force is not for this 
girl. She must be won, and the royal suitor, tired out by meaner loves, sets him- 
self to the task. Everything seems to be in his favor. She is already in his 
palace ; his magnificence is all around her ; she seems beyond the reach of help ; but 
the royal voluptuary finds that he cannot easily succeed; his interest grows with 
her opposition ; at last he realizes that there will be but one greater thing than to 
possess such a woman as this ; that will be to give her up, to let himself rise to the 
royal gift that such a woman deserves, and to bestow it on her — an unheard-of 
thing — with his own free hand. It is a splendid contest waged by these two ; the 
poet could see no end but victory for the maiden and her love. 

Certain women are addressed as " the daughters of Jerusalem." They are the 
older inhabitants of the harem. They have been accustomed to all the blandish- 
ments of art and all the fluctuations of desire and hatred that make up life in the 
Oriental harem. They find great sport from this rustic Shulamite. She is beauti- 
ful, but they admit it at first only with mockeries. They shower their scorn upon 
the warmth of this girl's heart. "What is her lover better than any lover?" 
They draw from her for their amusement a description of the shepherd. But with 
all their cruel sport they cannot fail to see the maiden s real beauty, both physical 
and moral, and gradually it works some change in their feelings. But they never 
yield her the sincere admiration that many interpreters find in their words. Here 
the poet is very skillful, too subtle, it would seem, for many scholars. The women 
praise Shulamith, but we note that it is only when Solomon is present. They are 
too crafty not to humor the king's moods. When he is present his favorite is 
treated in a fashion quite different from that which gives her pain in his absence. 
The king himself is deceived, for he says : " Why, even the women praise her ! " 
a thing most remarkable amid the jealousies and hatreds of the harem. Often 
there is a double meaning in the words of the women, innuendo, that the enamored 
king does not see. They declare that a king may well be ensnared by such beauty. 
They ask her to sing for them, and as she turns quickly away, they cry out : " Re- 
turn, return," or, possibly, "Turn again, turn again," and they are read}' to take 
up the suggestion afforded by one of her own innocent sayings, and to call upon 
her to dance for them the celebrated dance of Mahanaim, and with every indecent 
reference they sing her bodily charms, like those of a common public dancer, from 
her browned feet, "beautiful when in shoes," to her wavy locks in which the mon- 
arch is ensnared. It is not necessary to suppose that Shulamith actually danced 
before them ; such a dance would have been entirely contrary to her character as 
depicted in the poem. This is the climax of the poem. When their extravagant 
descriptions of her physical beauty have inflamed the king to the utmost, as they 
were intended to do, so that this superior being might be reduced to the level of 



INTRODUCTION 



xiii 



the women around her, then the king breaks out with his passionate declaration : 
"I will climb up into this palm tree, I will take possession of its fruit ! " They 
have had their last word, and Shulamith will listen no more. We may everywhere 
see the same light-minded, intrigue-loving, jealous, and fickle character in the lines 
spoken by the women of the harem, the "daughters of Jerusalem." And it is 
with special point and in marked contrast with their own foolish thoughts that the 
Shulamite in each case turned upon them with the words : 

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, 
That ye stir not up nor awaken love 
Until it please. 

We find no other characters speaking in the poem. The lover, to whom the 
maiden clings, appears only in her visions of him, or is heard only as she quotes 
his well-remembered words. The one law of simplicity demands that the action 
and the persons of the poem shall be free from unnnecessary complications. The 
explanation of the song is not possible without the maiden, the king, and the 
"daughters of Jerusalem," but with these we have enough to make clear all the 
variations in the text. 

How is it known when each of these characters takes up the speech ? In the 
total absence of all marginal directions a degree of uncertainty must remain in a 
few cases. But in most cases the matter is plain enough. The masculine or femi- 
nine termination of a pronoun will sometimes determine the person addressed, and 
thus show also who it is who is speaking. The almost invariable use of certain 
words by particular characters aids in the determination. For example, the word by 
which Shulamith speaks of her lover is invariably the Hebrew Tft, dodh, and it should 
he translated with uniformity, as by the word " beloved." Solomon, in addressing 
Shulamith, uses another word, which maybe translated "love," or "my love," 
the Hebrew Hjn, rayah, a word less ardent, less sacred than dodh, and used twice by 
Shulamith herself (2 : 10, 13 ; 5 : 2), when she is modestly referring to herself 
as beloved. In these cases she naturally takes the less ardent word as signifying 
the greater modesty upon her part. By such means as these divisions become 
apparent of which the Authorized version gives no hint. 

A common error is made in the disregard of the Hebrew parallelism by many 
interpreters, who seek to explain difficult phrases or to add to the vivacity of the 
dialogue by breaking up the members of the parallelism into disjointed sentences 
assigned to different characters. Even Doctor Griffis, in his ' ' Lily Among Thorns, ' ' 
which, on the whole, is the best book in English upon the Song, falls into this mis- 
take. Such arbitrary and violent division is not necessary to the intelligent explana- 
tion of the dialogue and should be avoided. Nor should the comparative simplicity 
of an Oriental poem be marred by breaks in the discourse other than those that 
the author has indicated. The effort should be to exclude speakers or changes of 
speakers, rather than to transgress the natural limitations of an Oriental drama of 
very early times. For the same reason the action of the poem should be as limited 
as possible. It is no more in accord with undeveloped forms of art to multiply 
scenes than to introduce many persons. But nearly all the interpreters who be- 
lieve in the dramatic form of the Song are betrayed into arrangements of acts and 



xiv 



INTRODUCTION 



scenes as definite and as many as a modern playwright would use. Delitzsch 
makes six acts of two scenes each. Zockler has five acts. Oettli has fifteen sec- 
tions, with many speakers. Benan introduces eleven different characters with stage 
directions corresponding. Ewald divides the poem into five acts, with many scenes. 
K. F. Keil marks two great divisions, each with three parts. Four American 
writers recently have contributed valuable works upon the subject : B. G. Moulton, 
dividing the poem into seven idyls, with several scenes not clearly distinguished ; 
W. C. Daland, making five acts, each with several scenes, some of which he marks 
"ideal " ; W. E. Griffis, who divides it into five acts, each with two or more scenes ; 
and S. I. Curtiss dividing it into twelve scenes. In many cases long explanations 
are necessary to justify these divisions to the reader, and it is with some difficulty 
that the interpreter carries out his thought with consistency. We believe that 
such elaboration is not necessary, and that it is wholly contrary to the spirit of 
Hebrew poetry. Probably it can be shown that a simpler structure is entirely 
intelligible, and that to a surprising degree the meaning of the poem will become 
clear by the addition of exceedingly few words here and there by way of marginal 
directions. The scene does not change at all, save in the imagination of the speak- 
ers. From first to last it is laid in the palace in Jerusalem, whither the maiden 
has been carried against her will by the officers of the court, perhaps by Solomon's 
commissary, Ahinadab of Mahanaim, of whom we read in 1 Eings 4 : 14 (see 
note on 6 : 13). The first line of the Song is a sigh of the maiden for her absent 
lover ; the last line is a joyous cry of anticipation while she still remains in the 
palace at Jerusalem. In accordance with this conception of the poem and its sim- 
plicity, it is better to avoid the terms "acts" and "scenes." The divisions are 
only those of time, clearly marked by breaks in the discourse, and the division into 
days is sufficient. 

In arriving at the conception of the poem set forth in the preceding introduc- 
tion and in the notes that are to follow, reliance has first been placed upon a care- 
ful and prolonged study of the Song in the Hebrew. But in addition to the study 
of the text the writer has sought the aid of all commentaries and monographs that 
he could obtain, and their helpfulness should be fully acknowledged even when a 
desire not to break the text has made local reference to them inexpedient. Among 
the books of value that have given aid, and that may be found useful by the stu- 
dent or reader, are the following : In English : S. E. Driver, " Introduction to the 
Literature of the Old Testament," C. Scribner's Sons, New York, 1891 ; E. G. 
Moulton, "Literary Study of the Bible," D. C. Heath & Co., Boston, 1895 ; Win, 
iE. Griffis, "The Lily Among Thorns," Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston, 1890 ; 
W. T. Davison, " Books for Bible Students," C. H. Kelly, London, 1894; Wash- 
ington Gladden, " Seven Puzzling Books," Houghton, Mifflin & Co, Boston, 1897 ; 
Milton S. Terry, "The Song of Songs," Cranston & Curts, Cincinnati, and Hunt 
& Eaton, New York, 1894 ; S. I. Curtiss, in " Bibliotheca Sacra," for January, 1898 ; 
Strack, "Old Testament Prophecy," T. &T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1885 ; F. Delitzsch, 
"Commentary on the Song of Songs," T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1893; Karl 
Budde, in "The New World," for March, 1894, answered by Eussell Martineau in 
"American Journal of Philology," Vol. XVI. (No. 4), pp. 435^43; also article 
by Martineau in "American Journal of Philology," Vol. XIII., pp. 307-328; 



INTRODUCTION xv 

W. C. Daland, "The Song of Songs," Leonardsville, N. Y., 1888 ; articles in Schaff- 
Herzog "Encyclopaedia of Religious Knowledge," "The Encyclopaedia Britan- 
nica," etc. In German: H. Graetz, " Schir Ha-Schirim," Willi. Jacobson & Co., 
Breslau, 1885; D. F. Hitzig, " Das Hohe- Lied," S. Hirzel, Leipzig, 1885; D. Otto 
Thenius, 1855; in "Die Klaglieder," S. Hirzel, Leipzig, 1855; E. W. Hengsten- 
berg, "Das Hohelied Salomonis," L. Oehmigte, Berlin, 1853; S. Oettli, in "Die 
poetischen Hagiographen," in the " Kurzgefasster Rommentar," edited by H. Strack 
and 0. Zoeckler ; C. H. Beck'schen, Nordlingen, 1889, and many others. 

In the notes that follow, the text of the Revised version has been used, since 
the Authorized version is so hopelessly at variance with the conception of the poem 
herein entertained that it could hardly be employed for the purpose. For a better 
view of the dramatic structure of the Song a few explanatory words indicating 
persons and scenes have been introduced. 

Note. — Among the large number of interpretations of the Song of Songs one 
view may deserve more attention than has hitherto been given to it. Dr. J. G. 
Wetzstein was the first to suggest it, and his notes were first published in connection 
with the Song in an appendix to the commentary by Delitzsch in 1875 (pp. 162 f.). 
The most important development of Wetzstein's investigations appears in an article 
by Karl Budde in "The New World," for March, 1894. According to this view the 
Song is a collection of songs based upon the festivities of the first seven days after 
marriage in Syria, in which "the young husband and the young wife play king 
and queen, and are treated and served as such by their village and the neighbor- 
ing communities that have been invited." Many songs are sung in praise of the 
bride and bridegroom. First, on the day of the wedding, the sword dance, with its 
chant in praise of the bride (7 : 1-7) is celebrated. Then on the next day the 
more restrained praise of the bride from the mouth of the husband is uttered (4 : 
1-6). The praise of the husband by the bride follows (5 : 2-16). Going back from 
chap. 4 the section 3 : 6-11 is explained by the custom of erecting a throne on the 
morning after the wedding, made from the threshing board, upon which the wedded 
pair are solemnly enthroned. The "friends of the bridegroom" are the young 
men of the village and the maidens are the attendants of the bride, represented in 
the poem by the armed attendants of Solomon and by the daughters of Jerusalem. 
Indeed, all through the poem the references to Solomon and to Shulamith are not 
to be taken as actually introducing those persons, but as the great king and as the 
most celebrated beauty of the kingdom (1 Kings 1 : 3, 4, 15 ; 2 : 13-23), they are 
dramatically used to represent the husband and the wife, and the whole celebration 
is called the King's Week. 

The chief objections to the view lie in the fact that it requires a dissection of 
the Song into many separate fragments, making it quite another work from the 
poem as it appears in the accepted form ; that it presupposes a collector of these 
poems, with redactors, of whom we otherwise have not the slightest hint ; and worse 
than all, that these literary workmen were so bungling, although they must have 
been perfectly conversant with the customs which our modern critics confessedly 
know only in part, that they arranged the songs entirely without reference to the 
order of the King's Week, and gave us the work in the utmost confusion. 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



Dramatically Arranged and Explained 
Revised Version 



SCENE : The royal palace in Jerusalem, without change. 
PERSONS : 

Shulamith, a rustic maiden, who has been taken from her home and lover in 
northern Israel, and brought to the king in Jerusalem. 
"Daughters of Jerusalem," women of the royal harem. 
Solomon, the king. 

The Title. 

Chapter I. 

1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's. 

First Day. Shulamith and the "Daughters of Jerusalem." 
Shulamith (in soliloquy addressing her absent lover). 

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth : 
For thy love is better than wine. 

3 Thine ointments have a goodly fragrance ; 
Thy name is as ointment poured forth ; 
Therefore do the virgins love thee. 

4 Draw me ; we will run after thee : 

The king hath brought me into his chambers : 
We will be glad and rejoice in thee, 
We will make mention of thy love more than wine : 
Rightly do they love thee. 

(Addressing the wom.en, whom she perceives to be mocking her.) 

5 I am black, but comely, 

0 ye daughters of Jerusalem, 

As the tents of Keda.r, 

As the curtains of Solomon. 

6 Look not upon me because I am swarthy, 
Because the sun hath scorched me. 

My mother's sons were incensed against me, 
They made me keeper of the vineyards ; 
But mine own vineyard have I not kept. 

(Forgetting the women and again turning to her lover.) 

7 Tell me, 0 thou whom my soul loveth, 

Where thou feedest thy flock, where thou makest it rest at noon : 

B xvii 



XV111 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



For why should I be as one that is veiled 
Beside the flocks of thy companions ? 

The "Daughters op Jerusalem" (contemptuously). 

8 If thou knowest not, O thou fairest among women, 
Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock. 
And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 

Solomon (enters and addresses Shulamith apart). 

9 I have compared thee, 0 my love, 
To a steed in Pharaoh's chariots. 

10 Thy cheeks are comely with plaits of hair, 
Thy neck with strings of jewels. 

11 We will make thee plaits of gold 
With studs of silver. 

Shulamith (answers that her love for the absent one is unshaken). 

12 While the king sat at his table, 

My spikenard sent forth its fragrance. 

13 My beloved is unto me as a bundle of myrrh, 
That lieth between my breasts. 

14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna-flowers 
In the vineyards of Engedi. 

Solomon. 

15 Behold, thou art fair, my love, behold, thou art fair ; 
Thine eyes are as doves. 

Shulamith (taking up the words of the king, bid applying them to her lover). 

16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant ; 
Also our couch is green. 

Solomon. 

17 The beams of our house are cedars, 
And our rafters are firs. 

Shulamith. 

Chapter II. 

1 I am a rose of Sharon, 
A lily of the valleys. 

Solomon. 

2 As a lily among thorns, 

So is my love among the daughters. 

Shulamith. 

3 As the apple trees among the trees of the wood, 
So is my beloved among the sons. 

I sat down under his shadow with great delight, 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



xix 



And his fruit was sweet to my taste. 

4 He brought me to the banqueting house, 
And his banner over me was love. 

5 Stay ye me with raisins, comfort me with apples : 
For I am sick of love. 

6 His left hand is under my head, 
And his right hand doth embrace me. 

7 I adjure you, 0 ye daughters of Jerusalem, 
By the roes, and by the hinds of the field, 
That ye stir not up, nor awaken love, 
Until it please. 

Second Day. Shulamith and the "Daughters of Jerusalem." 
Shulamith (in rapt soliloquy ; the women listening.) 

8 The voice of my beloved ! behold, he cometh, 
Leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. 

9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart, 
Behold, he standeth behind our wall, 
He looketh in at the windows, 

He showeth himself through the lattice. 

10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, 

Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 

11 For, lo, the winter is past, 
The rain is over and gone ; 

12 The flowers appear on the earth ; 

The time of the singing of birds is come, 

And the voice of the turtle is heard in the land. 

13 The fig tree ripeneth her green figs, 
And the vines are in blossom, 
They give forth their fragrance. 

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 

14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the steep place, 
Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice ; 

For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. 

(She sings a snatch of song.) 

15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards ; 
For our vineyards are in blossom. 

16 My beloved is mine, and I am his : 
He feedeth his flock among the lilies. 

17 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, 

Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart 
Upon the mountains of Bether. 

(Relating a dream.) 

Chapter III. 

1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth : 
I sought him, but I found him not. 



XX 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



2 I said, I will rise now, and go about the city, 
In the streets and in the broad ways, 

I will seek him whom my soul loveth : 
I sought him, but I found him not. 

3 The watchmen that go about the city found me : 
To whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth ? 

4 It was but a little that I passed from them, 
When I found him whom my soul loveth : 
I held him, and would not let him go, 
Until I brought him into my mother's house, 
And into the chamber of her that conceived me. 

5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, 
By the roes, and by the hinds of the field, 
That ye stir not up, nor awaken love, 
Until it please. 

Third Day. Solomon; the "Daughters of Jerusalem" ; Shulamith. 
The Women (greeting the king as he enters). 

6 Who is this that cometh up out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, 
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, 

With all powders of the merchant ? 

7 Behold, it is the litter of Solomon ; 
Three score mighty men are about it, 
Of the mighty men of Israel. 

8 They all handle the sword, and are expert in war : 
Every man hath his sword upon his thigh, 
Because of fear in the night. 

9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin 
Of the wood of Lebanon. 

10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, 

The bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple, 
The midst thereof being paved with love, 
From the daughters of Jerusalem. 

11 Go forth, 0 ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon, 

With the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him in the day of his 
espousals, 

And in the day of the gladness of his heart. 

Solomon (addressing Shidamith). 

Chapter IV. 

1 Behold, thou art fair, my love ; behold, thou art fair ; 
Thine eyes are as doves behind thy veil : 

Thy hair is as a flock of goats, 

That lie along the side of Mount Gilead. 

2 Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes that are newly shorn, 
Which are come up from the washing ; 

Whereof every one hath twins, 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



xxi 



And none is bereaved among them. 

3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, 
And thy mouth is comely. 

Thy temples are like a piece of pomegranate 
Behind thy veil. 

4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armory, 
Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, 

All the shields of the mighty men. 

5 Thy two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a roe, which feed among 

the lilies. 

6 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, 
I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, 

And to the hill of frankincense. 

7 Thou art all fair, my love ; 
And there is no spot in thee. 

8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, 
With me from Lebanon : 

Look from the top of Amana, 
From the top of Senir and Hermon, 
From the lions' dens, 
From the mountains of the leopards. 

9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my bride ; 
Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, 
With one chain of thy neck. 

10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride ! 
How much better is thy love than wine ! 

And the smell of thine ointments than all manner of spices ! 

11 Thy lips, 0 my bride, drop as the honeycomb : 
Honey and milk are under thy tongue ; 

And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. 

12 A garden shut up is my sister, my bride ; 
A spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 

13 Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits ; 
Henna with spikenard plants, 

14 Spikenard and saffron, 

Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense ; 
Myrrh and aloes, with all chief spices. 

15 Thou art a fountain of gardens, 
A well of living waters, 

And flowing streams from Lebanon. 

Shulamith {turning wearily from the king). 

16 Awake, 0 north wind ; and come, thou south ; 

Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. 
Let my beloved come into his garden, 
And eat his precious fruits. 



xxii 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



Solomon {appropriating to himself what Shulamith has said of her lover). 
Chapter V. 

1 I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride : 
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice ; 

I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey ; 
I have drunk my wine with my milk. 
Eat, 0 friends ; 

Drink, yea, drink abundantly, 0 beloved. 

(Shulamith withdraws, incensed at the king's profane use of her sacred word, Beloved, as 
he uses it of all lovers : "Drink abundantly, 0 ye beloved ones.'') 

Fourth Day. Shulamith; the "Daughters of Jerusalem." 
Shulamith (relating a dream of the past night.) 

2 I was asleep, but my heart waked : 

It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, 
Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undented : 
For my head is filled with dew, 
My locks with the drops of the night. 
(I answered) 

3 I have put off my coat ; how shall I put it on? 

I have washed my feet ; how shall I defile them ? 

4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, 
And my heart was moved for him. 

5 I rose up to open to my beloved ; 
And my hands dropped with myrrh, 
And my fingers with liquid myrrh, 
Upon the handle of the bolt. 

6 I opened to my beloved ; 

But my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone. 
My soul had failed me when he spake : 
I sought him, but I could not find him ; 
I called him, but he gave me no answer. 

7 The watchmen that go about the city found me, 
They smote me, they wounded me ; 

The keepers of the wall took away my mantle from me. 

8 I adjure you, 0 ye daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, 
That ye tell him, that I am sick of love. 

The Women (speaking contemptuously). 

9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 
0 thou fairest among women? 

What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 
That thou dost so adjure us? 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



xxiii 



Shulamith. 

10 My beloved is white and ruddy, 
The chiefest among ten thousand. 

11 His head is as the most fine gold, 

His locks are bushy, and black as a raven. 

12 His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks ; 
Washed with milk and fitly set. 

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as banks of sweet herbs : 
His lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh. 

14 His hands are as rings of gold set with beryl ; 
His body is as ivory work overlaid with sapphires. 

15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold : 
His aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. 

16 His mouth is most sweet ; yea, he is altogether lovely. 
This is my beloved, and this is my friend, 

0 daughters of Jerusalem. 

The Women (still speaking contemptuously). 

Chapter VI. 

1 Whither is thy beloved gone, 
0 thou fairest among women? 
Whither hath thy beloved turned him, 
That we may seek him with thee ? 

Shulamith. 

2 My beloved is gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, 
To feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. 

3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine 
He feedeth his flock among the lilies. 

Fifth Day. Solomon; Shulamith; the " Daughters of Jerusalem. " 

Solomon. 

4 Thou art beautiful, 0 my love, as Tirzah, 
Comely as Jerusalem, 

Terrible as an army with banners. 

5 Turn away thine eyes from me, 
For they have overcome me. 
Thy hair is as a flock of goats, 
That lie along the side of Gilead. 

6 Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, 
Which are come up from the washing ; 
Whereof every one hath twins, 

And none is bereaved among them. 

7 Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate 
Behind thy veil. 



xxiv 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



8 There are three score queens, and four score concubines, 
And virgins without number. 

9 My dove, my undefiled, is but one ; 
She is the only one of her mother ; 

She is the choice one of her that bare her. 

The daughters saw her, and called her blessed ; 

Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. 

10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, 
Fair as the moon, 

Clear as the sun, 

Terrible as an army with banners ? 

Shulamith. 

11 I went down into the garden of nuts, 
To see the green plants of the valley, 
To see whether the vine budded, 
And the pomegranates were in flower. 

12 Or ever I was aware, my soul set me 
Among the chariots of my princely people. 

Solomon and the Women (as Shulamith withdraws). 

13 Return, return, 0 Shulamite, 

Return, return, that we may look upon thee. 

Shulamith. 
Why will ye look upon the Sulamite ? 

The Women (while the king listens). 
As upon the dance of Mahanaim. 

Chapter VII. 

1 How beautiful are thy feet in sandals, 0 prince's daughter ! 
The joints of thy thighs are like jewels, 

The work of the hands of a cunning workman. 

2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, 
Wherein no mingled wine is wanting : 
Thy belly is like an heap of wheat 
Set about with lilies. 

3 Thy two breasts are like two fawns 
That are twins of a roe. 

4 Thy neck is like a tower of ivory ; 

Thine eyes as the pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-Rabbim. 
Thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon 
Which looketh toward Damascus. 

5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, 
And the hair of thine head like purple. 

The king is held captive in the tresses thereof. 



THE SONG OF SONGS xxv 
Solomon. 

6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, 

0 love, for delights ! 

7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, 
And thy breasts to clusters of grapes. 

8 I said, I will climb up into the palm tree, 

1 will take hold of the branches thereof : 
Let thy breasts be as clusters of the vine, 
And the smell of thy breath like apples ; 

9 And thy mouth like the best wine. 

Shulamith (interrupting). 
That goeth down smoothly for my beloved, 
Gliding through the lips of those that are asleep. 
I am my beloved's, 
And his desire is toward me. 
Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field ; 
Let us lodge in the villages. 
Let us get up early to the vineyards ; 

Let us see whether the vine hath budded, and its blossom be open, 
And the pomegranates be in flower : 
There will I give thee my love. 
The mandrakes give forth fragrance, 

And at our doors are all manner of precious fruits, new and old, 
Which I have laid up for thee, 0 my beloved. 

Chapter VIII. 

1 Oh, that thou wert as my brother, 
That sucked the breasts of my mother ! 

When I should find thee without, I would kiss thee ; 
Yea, and none would despise me. 

2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, 
Who would instruct me ; 

I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, 
Of the juice of my pomegranate. 

3 His left hand should be under my head, 
And his right hand should embrace me. 

4 I adjure you, 0 daughters of Jerusalem, 
That ye stir not up, nor awaken love, 
Until it please. 

Sixth Day. Shulamith (alone, having received the royal promise for her release, and 
anticipating her meeting with her lover). 

5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, 
Leaning upon her beloved? 

Under the apple tree I awaked thee : 



xxvi 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



There thy mother was in travail with thee, 
There was she in travail that brought thee forth. 

6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm : 
For love is strong as death ; 

Jealousy is cruel as the grave : 

The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, 

A very flame of the Lord. 

7 Many waters cannot quench love, 
Neither can the floods drown it : 

If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, 
He would utterly be contemned. 

(She sings a folk song in praise of purity.) 

8 We have a little sister, 
And she hath no breasts : 
What shall we do for our sister 

In the day when she shall be spoken for? 

9 If she be a wall, 

We will build upon her a turret of silver : 
If she be a door, 

We will inclose her with boards of cedar. 

10 I am a wall, and my breasts like the towers thereof : 
Then was I in his eyes as one that found peace. 

11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon ; 
He let out the vineyard unto keepers ; 

Every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver. 

12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me : 
Thou, 0 Solomon, shalt have the thousand, 

And those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. 

(She cries with longing for her beloved to come.) 

13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, 
The companions hearken for thy voice ; 
Cause me to hear it. 

14 Make haste, my beloved, 

And be thou like to a roe or to a young hart 
Upon the mountains of spices. 



THE SONG OF SONGS 

CHAPTER I. 



1 THE song of songs, which is Solomon's. 

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth : 
for thy love is better than wine. 

3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments 
thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do 
the virgins love thee. 

4 Draw me, we will run after thee : the king hath 
brought me into his chambers : we will be glad and 
rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more 
than wine : the upright love thee. 

5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jeru- 
salem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of 
Solomon. 

6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because 
the sun hath looked upon me : my mother's chil- 
dren were angry with me ; they made me the keeper 
of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I 
not kept. 

7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where 
thou feedest, where thou makestWi?/ flock to rest at 
noon : for why should I be as one that turneth 
aside by the flocks of thy companions? 

8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, 
go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and 
feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 



Chap. 1. The title. 1. The Song of 
songs. The best of all songs. The word used 
generally signifies a song in honor of some one, 
or in celebration of his excellencies. Which 
is Solomon's. Apparently an ascription of 
authorship not consistent with the contents of 
the Song itself. The verse is a title prefixed by 
some other hand than that of the author. See 
Introduction. 

First day, 1 : 2 to 2 : 7. 2. Let him kiss 
me . . . For thy love, etc. The speaker, a 
maiden taken from her home in northern Israel 
by the servants of King Solomon for his harem, 
longs for her absent lover, beginning in solilo- 
quy and instantly passing to the more vivid 
form of address, as if her lover were actually 
present. 3. Ointments. Ointments and per- 
fumes are constantly used in the poem to indicate 
either the personal excellencies of the charac- 
ters, or, more directly, the means of adornment. 
At the supposed time of the poem Palestine was 
a garden filled with fruit and gum-bearing trees, 
many of them importations from other lands 
and highly valued. Thy name. The mere 



1 THE Song of songs, which is Solomon's. 

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth : 
For thy love is better than wine. 

3 Thine ointments have a goodly fragrance ; 
Thy name is as ointment poured forth ; 
Therefore do the virgins love thee. 

i Draw me ; we will run after thee, 
The king hath brought me into his chambers : 
We will be glad and rejoice in thee, 
We will make mention of thy love more than of 
wine : 

Rightly do they love thee. 

5 I am black, but comely, 

O ye daughters of Jerusalem, 

As the tents of Kedar, 

As the curtains of Solomon. 

6 Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, 
Because the sun hath scorched me. 

My mother's sons were incensed against me, 
They made me keeper of the vineyards ; 
But mine own vineyard have I not kept. 

7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, 
Where thou feedest thy flock, where thou makest 

it to rest at noon : 
For why should 1 be as one that is veiled 
Beside the flocks of thy companions ? 

8 If thou know not, 0 thou fairest among women, 
Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, 
And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 



mention of the lover's name as, in Hebrew cus- 
tom, significant of all his qualities, affected the 
mind as the senses would be by fragrance, at- 
tracting not only Shulamith, but all the virgins 
her companions. 4. Draw me ; we will run. 
As if yet in the freedom of her native surround- 
ings she imagines herself and companions at 
play with her lover. But then the sad reality 
recurs to her: The king, etc. But even the 
royal palace is comparatively without attrac- 
tions. 5. I am black, etc. The jealous 
women have mocked her sun-browned face. 
She explains that while forced to keep the vine- 
yards of others her own beauty, her vineyard, 
had been neglected. Yet it is beauty honored 
by her lover, recognized by Solomon. Divide 
the speech thus in meaning: "I am black as 
the tents of Kedar, but comely as the curtains 
of Solomon." 7. As one that is veiled. A 
woman among strangers wearing the veil. Why 
should she be dwelling among strangers when all 
her longings were for her lover's presence? 

8. If thou know not. The women now 
speak for the first time. With sarcasm they 

27 



28 



THE SONG 



OF SONGS 



[Ch. I. 



9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a com- 
pany of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. 

10" Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy 
neck with chains of gold. 

11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs 
of silver. 

12 While the king sittetk at his table, my spike- 
nard sendeth forth the smell thereof. 

13 A bundle of myrrh is my well beloved unto 
me ; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. 

14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire 
in the vineyards of Engedi. 

15 Behold, thou art fair, my love ; behold, thou 
art fair ; thou hast doves' eyes. 

16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleas- 
ant : also our bed is green. 

17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our 
rafters of fir. 



advise her to search, as a shepherdess or an im- 
modest woman looking for a lover. 

9. Solomon enters and seeks to win her love. 
A steed. A favorite horse was the most pre- 
cious possession, and especially at this time 
when the introduction of horses and chariots 
into Palestine was recent. Although the use of 
horses had been forbidden at an early time (Dcut. 
17 : 16), David had established a force of cavalry 
and chariots in his army (2 Sam. 8 : 4) J and Solo- 
mon increased the force to an immense number 
(1 Kings i ■. 26)). This was brought about by 
Solomon's connection with Egypt, and the refer- 
ence to the chariots of Pharaoh is thus to be ex- 
plained. Possibly the name " Pharaoh-chariot " 
was applied to the chariots in Solomon's king- 
dom as having been introduced from Egypt. 
The word for "horse" is literally " mare " in 
this passage. The comparison is not only of 
pride and gracefulness, but of overcoming 
strength, as in 4 : 4 and 6 : 4. 10. Cheeks 
are comely with plaits. Either plaits of 
hair or chains of coins gathered in loops like 
the copper or silver pieces seen to-day in Syria 
upon the girls and young women. Instead of 
these the king will give her rich ornaments 
worthy of his state. Perhaps there is still a 
reference to the barbaric way in which favorite 
steeds were caparisoned. 

12. While the king sat, etc. Shulamith 
answers that her happiness is not in these 
things, nor even in the king's presence, for 
while he was feasting with his lords her thoughts 
were with her absent lover. My spikenard. 
The attractions of her lover were always present 
to her, like the penetrating odor of nard. The 
king could forget her for the hour when he was 
feasting ; she could not for a moment forget her 
beloved. 13. Bundle of myrrh. A little bag 
containing gum, or more probably a vial of 



9 I have compared thee, O my love, 
To a steed in Pharaoh's chariots. 

10 Thy cheeks are comely with plaits of hair, 
Thy neck with strings of jewels. 

11 We will make thee plaits of gold 
With studs of silver. 

12 While the king sat at his table, 

My spikenard sent forth its fragrance. 

13 My beloved is unto me as a bundle of myrrh, 
That lieth betwixt my breasts. 

14 My beloved is unto me as a. cluster of henna- 

flowers 
In the vineyards of Engedi. 

15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art 

fair ; 

Thine eyes are as doves. 

16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant : 
Also our couch is green. 

17 The beams of our house are cedars, 
And our rafters are firs. 

semi-fluid ointment, which was very precious, 
and was worn about the person all the time. 
Isa. 3 : 20, A. V., " tablets," Marg., " houses of 
the soul"; E. V., "perfume boxes." These 
"soul houses" were the symbols of love, the 
precious ointment lying next the heart even at 
night, signifying that the spirit of the beloved 
one was imprisoned there like the ointment in 
the vial. Compare the simile in Tennyson's 
song in " The Miller's Daughter." 14. Henna- 
flowers. A species of cypress indigenous to 
India, perhaps imported for the royal gardens. 
Engedi was an oasis of great natural luxuriance 
near the terrible desert of the Dead Sea, and at 
the entrance of a desolate pass across the hill- 
country of the desert of Judea. It was one of 
the most beautiful spots in Palestine, and was 
renowned throughout the land. 

15. Solomon speaks, but his words seem only 
to incite the maiden to further expressions of 
love for her own, and his words only suggest the 
application of them by her to the only one for 
whom she cherishes such sentiments of affection. 
Thine eyes are as doves. Gentleness and 
sweetness, trustfulness yet timidity, are indi- 
cated as the expression of the maiden's eyes. 

16. Thou art fair, my beloved. Shula- 
mith takes the very words of the king, only 
changing them to insert her own peculiar ap- 
pellation for her lover, which throughout marks 
her speech of him, and which we translate by the 
word " beloved." Our couch is green. It is 
the remembrance of the grassy banks in her own 
country on which she and her lover had met. 

17. The beams, etc. The king contrasts 
the rustic ideals of the maiden with the splen- 
dor of his palace in which he would have her 
make her home. The cedars of Lebanon, most 
costly of all wood, had been used in its build- 
ing (2 Sam. 5 : ii), and its rafters were the strong 



Ch.IL] 



THE SONG 



OF SONGS 



29 



CH APT 

1 I AM the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the 
valleys. 

2 As the lily among thorns, so is my love among 
the daughters. 

3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, 
so is my beloved among the sons. 1 sat down under 
his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was 
sweet to my taste. 

4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and 
his banner over me was love. 

5 Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples : 
for I am sick of love. 

6 His left hand is under my head, and his right 
hand doth embrace me. 

7 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by 
the roes, and by the hinds of the held, that ye stir 
not up, nor awake my love, till he please. 

8 The voice of my beloved ! behold, he Cometh 
leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the 
hills. 

9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: be- 
hold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth 



EE II. 

1 I AM a rose of Sharon, 
A lily of the valleys. 

2 As a lily among thorns, 

So is my love among the daughters. 

3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, 
So is my beloved among the sons. 

I sat down under his shadow with great delight, 
And his fruit was sweet to my taste. 

4 He brought me to the banqueting house, 
And his banner over me was love. 

5 Stay ye me with raisins, comfort me with apples : 
For I am sick of love. 

6 His left hand is under my head, 
And his right hand doth embrace me. 

7 I adjure you, 0 daughters of Jerusalem, 
By the roes, and by the hinds of the field, 
That ye stir not up, nor awaken love, 
Until it please. 

8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh, 
Leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the 

hills. 

9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart : 
Behold, he standeth behind our wall, 



firs capable of upholding the wide expanse of 
roof, made of stone, placed upon them. 



Chap. 2. 1. In contrast with the king's 
tempting splendor, Shulamith declares herself 
unsuited to the life in such a palace ; she is, 
rather, a natural flower, the rose of Sharon, the 
wide plain that extends along the coast, greet- 
ing the traveler to-day with its luxuriant growth 
of sward and flowers and abundant grain. Lily. 
Perhaps the scarlet anemone of Palestine. 

2. With a deft turn of Shulamith's word, 
Solomon declares her peerless even as a lily, all 
other women being only as thorns in comparison. 

3. Apple tree. Sbulamith, deaf to the 
skillful flattery of the king, turns her thought 
again to her beloved. He is like an apple tree, 
so much more beautiful and delight-giving than 
the wild trees of the forest. The apple, fragrant 
and sweet, yet indigenous and not depending 
upon cultivation, offered one of the most palat- 
able fruits of Palestine. I sat down, etc. 
Protection and delight are mingled in the figure. 
4. His banner over me was love. No 
silken canopy, no royal standard, was needed, 
for her lover was enough, and his love would 
give all protection and glory. The banquet- 
ing house is a sign of the complete satisfac- 
tion of her lot. She needs no palatial hall and 
many companions, if only she can have her 
beloved. 5. Stay ye me with raisins, etc. 
Literally, raisin cakes, or cakes of pressed 
grapes. Raisins and apples, refreshing fruits, 
with a reference to what she has said about her 
lover — so strong is her love that she almost 
faints beneath it, and the strength and stimu- 



lating power of her beloved, so like apples and 
the pressed vine-fruit, alone can comfort her. 
6. His left hand, etc. R. V., "Let his left 
hand be under my head," or, as Professor Cur- 
tiss suggests (citing Driver, " A Treatise on the 
Use of the Hebrew Tenses," London, 1892, pp. 
13, 14), "His left hand would be under my 
head," if he were to be brought to comfort her. 
There is no mystic significance, as some would 
suggest, in the reference to the left and right 
hand. 7. I adjure you. Shulamith turns to 
the women of the harem, to whom the purity and 
faithfulness of her own love are strange, and be- 
seeches them to regard love as sacred, not the 
creation of artificial circumstances or forced 
desire. By the roes, etc. By all the natural 
and simple laws of the wild and spontaneous 
life around them. Stir not up, nor awaken 
love, Until it please. The A. V. here is 
wholly unintelligible. A mere adjuration not 
to awaken a lover until he is ready to be awaked 
is feeble, the end to be gained too feeble for the 
adjuration. The R. V. gives the verse the 
proper dignity. 

Second day, 2 : 8 to 3 : 5. 8. The voice 
of my beloved! Shulamith and the daugh- 
ters of Jerusalem are alone in the women's 
apartments of the palace. The maiden speaks 
in soliloquy, apparently not regarding the pres- 
ence of her companions, who, however, are 
watching her in ill-natured amusement. Shula- 
mith is recalling vividly her lover's voice, ap- 
pearance, actions, words, as an absent girl might 
do. Leaping upon the mountains, etc. 
With the agility of a shepherd and the eager- 
ness of a lover to reach his loved one. 9. Our 



30 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



[Ch. III. 



at the windows, shewing himself through the 
lattice. 

10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, 
my love, my fair one, and come away. 

11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and 
gone ; 

12 The flowers appear on the earth ; the time of 
the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the 
turtle is heard in our land ; 

IS The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and 
the vines with the tender grape give agroodsmell. 
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 

14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in 
the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy counte- 
nance, let me hear thy voice ; for sweet is thy voice, 
and thv countenance is comely. 

15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil 
the vines : for our vines have tender grapes. 

16 My beloved is mine, and I am his : he feedeth 
among the lilies. 

17 Until the day break, and the shadows flee 
away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or 
a young hart upon the mountains of Bether. 



c n APT 

1 BY night on my bed I sought him whom my 
soul loveth : I sought him, but 1 found him not. 

2 I will rise now, and go about the city in the 
streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom 
my soul loveth : 1 sought him, but I found him not. 

3 The watchmen that go about the city found 
me : to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul 
loveth ? 



He looketh in at the windows, 

He sheweth himself through the lattice. 

10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, 

Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away 

11 For, lo, the winter is past, 
The rain is over and gone ; 

12 The flowers appear on the earth ; 

The time of the singing of birds is come, 

And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land ; 

13 The tig tree ripeneth her green figs. 
And the vines are in blossom, 
They give forth their fragrance. 

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 

14 0 my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in 

the covert of the steep place, 
Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy 
voice ; 

For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is 
comely. 

15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the 

vineyards ; 
For our vineyards are in blossom. 
10 My beloved is mine, and I am his : 

He feedeth his flock among the lilies. 
17 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, 
Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a 

young hart 
Upon the mountains of Bether. 

EE III. 

1 BY night on my bed I sought him whom my 

soul loveth : 
I sought him, but I found him not. 

2 I said, I will rise now, and go about the city, 
In the streets and in the broad ways, 

I will seek him whom my soul loveth : 
I sought him, but I found him not. 

3 The watchmen that go about the city found me : 
To whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul 

loveth ? 



wall. The wall of the house, behind which he 
playfully hides and then suddenly shows him- 
self at the latticed windows. 11. Winter . . . 
rain. The winter rains in Palestine make out- 
of-door life impossible. But the first spring is 
the most delightful season of the year. Already 
trees are budding, grass springing, and the foun- 
tains and water courses are full. The freshness 
of nature in this paragraph is in distinct con- 
trast with the dull, monotonous, artificial life of 
the city and palace. l'Z. The turtle. A spe- 
cies of dove that migrates to Egypt in the colder 
seasons and returns in the spring. 13. The 
fig tree ripeneth her green figs. The fruit 
of the fig is put forth very early in March, and 
before the leaves have come to maturity. Com- 
pare the curse upon the fig tree in the Gospel, 
as related by Mark (n : "-!*), showing that 
leaves and fruit were naturally together upon 
the tree, while if the leaves only were there it 
was an unnatural case, and the tree with its 
foliage of profession might well be made the 
accursed type of the pharisaic spirit, full of fair 
promise but barren in deed. 14. Clefts of 
the rock. Timid and gentle, the dove builds 
her nest in places inaccessible. 

15. Take us the foxes. It is best to sup- 
pose that the maiden here sings a snatch of song, 



such as the vinedressers often would sing. Her 
imagination has heard her lover calling her 
voice sweet ; therefore she sings as he had often 
heard her. Foxes are fond of grapes, as in 
iEsop's fable. The young foxes were especially 
the enemies of the vineyards, as they nibbled 
the tender shoots. 16. This verse is a return 
to her own speech. 17. Until the day be 
cool, and the shadows flee away. That 
is, during the heated hours, when men usually 
remained quiet, her lover should hasten to her 
side, that they might enjoy the cool evening 
together. Mountains of Bether. Or, moun- 
tains of separation, the mountains that divided 
the lovers, from the Hebrew bathar, to cut up. 
Perhaps we should read "the craggy moun- 
tains," difficult to pass. 



Chap. 3. 1. By night, etc. Shulamith 
now relates a dream to the women. She seemed 
to search through the mazes of a city, its streets 
and squares (broad ways). The watchmen 
found her, and in her rustic innocence she sup- 
posed that they must know her lover ; but she 
could learn nothing from them. At last, sud- 
denly, she met her lover and took him to her 
mother's home, that place in all the world where 
a maiden and her lover may most safely and 



Ch. IV.] 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



31 



4 It was but a little that I passed from them, but 
I found him whom my soul loveth : I held him, 
and would not let him go, until I had brought him 
into my mother's house, and into the chamber of 
her that conceived me. 

o I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by 
the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir 
not up, nor awake my love, till he please. 

6 Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness 
like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and 
frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? 

7 Behold his bed, which is Solomon's ; threescore 
valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. 

8 They all hold swords, being expert in war: 
every man hath his sword upon his thigh because 
of fear in the night. 

9 King Solomon made himself a chariot of the 
wood of Lebanon. 

10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bot- 
tom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, 
the midst thereof being paved with love, for the 
daughters of Jerusalem. 

11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold 
king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother 
crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the 
day of the gladness of his heart. 



4 It was but a little that I passed from them, 
When I found him whom my soul loveth : 
I held him, and would not let him go, 

Until I had brought him into my mother's house, 
And into the chamber of her that conceived me. 

5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, 
By the roes, and by the hinds of the field, 
That ye stir not up, nor awaken love, 
Until it please. 

6 Who is this that cometh up out of the wilder- 

ness like pillars of smoke, 
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, 
With all powders of the merchant? 

7 Behold, it is the litter of Solomon ; 
Threescore mighty men are about it, 
Of the mighty men of Israel. 

8 They all handle the sword, and are expert in war : 
Every man hath his sword upon his thigh, 
Because of fear in the night. 

9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin 
Of the wood of Lebanon. 

10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, 

The bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of 
purple, 

The midst thereof being paved with love, 
From the daughters of Jerusalem. 

11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold 

king Solomon, 
With the crown wherewith his mother hath 

crowned him in the day of his espousals, 
And in the day of the gladness of his heart. 



CHAPTER IV. 



1 BEHOLD, thou art fair, my love ; behold, thou 
art fair ; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks : thy 
hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from Mount 
Gilead. 

2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even 
shorn, which came up from the washing ; whereof 
every one bear twins, and none is barren among 
them. 

3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy 
speech is comely : thy temples are like a piece of 
a pomegranate within thy locks. 

4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded 
for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand 
bucklers, all shields of mighty men. 



1 BEHOLD, thou art fair, my love ; behold, thou 

art fair ; 

Thine eyes are as doves behind thy veil : 

Thy hair is as a flock of goats, 

That lie along the side of mount Gilead. 

2 Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes that are newly 

shorn, 

Which are come up from the washing ; 
Whereof every one hath twins, 
And none is bereaved among them. 

3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, 
And thy mouth is comely : 

Thy temples are like a piece of pomegranate 
Behind thy veil. 

4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for 

an armoury, 
Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, 
All the shields of the mighty men. 



happily be. 5, The first recurrence of the re- 
frain in which the moral purpose of the Song is 
declared It is the motif of the symphony. 

Third day, 3 s 6 to 5 : 1. 6. Who is this, 
etc. The women of the palace, with Shulamith, 
looking from the lattices see the royal litter ap- 
proaching the harem, and they break forth into 
a chant of greeting to the monarch. 9. A 
palanquin. In the East, and particularly in 
Palestine, the ways are often inaccessible to 
wheeled vehicles, and at all times the palanquin, 
borne by men or mules, was more luxurious for 
riding than the chariot without springs. The 
luxury of the royal equipage as here depicted is 
in accord with all that we know about Solomon's 
court. 10. Paved with love. The interior 
was overlaid with some rich work made by the 
women of the palace. 11. Go forth, etc. The 
women go to the entrance of the women's apart- 



ments to meet the king. With the crown. 

Perhaps Solomon had decked himself with un- 
usual magnificence to win the Shulamite. He 
may have put on the crown that his mother had 
placed on his head, in accordance with Oriental 
custom, many years before, when he had es- 
poused the daughter of Pharaoh ; or perhaps he 
intended now to raise this peasant girl to an 
equality with his queen ; or the language may 
serve only in an imaginative way to suggest that 
Solomon comes with the purpose of a bridegroom 
in his heart. 



Chap. 4. 1. Behold, thou art fair. 

Solomon addresses Shulamith and by varied 
comparisons praises her beauty. 2. None is 
bereaved. The whole comparison is to show 
the whiteness and perfection of the teeth. 4. 
Tower of David. Symmetry and strength 



32 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



[Ch. IV. 



5 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that 
are twins, which feed among the lilies. 

6 Until the day break, and the shadows flee 
away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and 
to the hill of frankincense. 

7 Thou art all fair, my love ; there is no spot in 
thee. 

8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with 
me from Lebanon : look from the top of Amana, 
from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' 
dens, from the mountains of the leopards. 

9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my 
spouse ; thou hast ravished my heart with one of 
thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. 

10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse ! 
how much better is thy love than wine ! and the 
smell of thine ointments than all spices ! 

11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb : 
honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the 
smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. 

12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse ; a 
spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 

13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, 
with pleasant fruits ; camphire, with spikenard, 

14 Spikenard and saffron ; calamus and cinna- 
mon, with all trees of frankincense ; myrrh and 
aloes, with all the chief spices : 

15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, 
and streams from Lebanon. 

16 Awake, O north wind ; and come, thou south ; 
blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may 
flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, 
and eat his pleasant fruits. 



5 Thy two breasts are like two fawns that are 

twins of a roe, 
Which feed among the lilies. 

6 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, 
I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, 

And to the hill of frankincense. 

7 Thou art all fair, my love ; 
And there is no spot in thee. 

8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, 
With me from Lebanon : 

Look from the top of Amana, 
From the top of Senir and Hermon, 
From the lions' dens, 
From the mountains of the leopards. 

9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my 

bride ; 

Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine 

eyes, 

With one chain of thy neck. 

10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride ! 
How much better is thy love than wine ! 

And the smell of thine ointments than all man- 
ner of spices ! 

11 Thy lips, O my bride, drop as the honeycomb: 
Honey and milk are under thy tongue ; 

And the smell of thy garments is like the smell 
of Lebanon. 

12 A garden shut up is my sister, my bride ; 
A spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 

13 Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, 

' with precious fruits ; 
Henna with spikenard plants, 

14 Spikenard and saffron, 

Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frank- 
incense ; 

Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices. 

15 Thou art a fountain of gardens, 
A well of living waters, 

And flowing streams from Lebanon. 

16 Awake, O north wind ; and come, thou south ; 
Blow ut>on my garden, that the spices thereof 

may flow out. 
Let my beloved come into his garden, 
And eat his precious fruits. 



are signified. A thousand bucklers. The 

hanging of shields in an armory showed the 
power of the king, and often these warlike orna- 
ments were the pride of monarchs. Solomon 
had hung in his palace two hundred targets of 
beaten gold and three hundred shields of beaten 
gold (i Kings io : 16, 17). 6. Mountain of 
myrrh. All through the heated day the king 
would betake himself to the cool and odorous 
delights of his refuge with his love, like a moun- 
tain covered with spicy woods. 8. Come with 
me from Lebanon. The king now seeks to 
entice the maiden by reminding her of the ex- 
tent of his kingdom. Amana . . . Senir . . . 
Hermon. Amana was that part of the anti- 
Lebanon range from which flowed the river of 
the same name, giving life to the oasis and city 
of Damascus. Hermon is the great peak now 
known by that name, and Senir a part of the 
anti-Lebanon sometimes confounded with Her- 
mon (Deut. s : 9 ; 1 chron. 5 : 23), From these loftiest 
peaks they could look even to the boundaries of 
the kingdom. Lions' dens. These words 
have occasioned needless perplexity, many in- 
terpreters resorting to a reference to the throne 



of Solomon surrounded by carved lions (i Kings 
10 : 18-20), and making the "mountains of the 
leopards " refer to the palaces of the courtiers! 
The reference is simple. These outlying moun- 
tains were infested with wild beasts, but even 
these savage places were within the limit of the 
broad domain which Solomon would share with 
his queen. 12. A garden shut up. Kept 
solely for its owner's enjoyment. A fountain 
sealed. A spring near Solomon's Pools, a few 
miles south of Bethlehem, is to-day inclosed 
and called the Sealed Fountain. In a land 
where water is always so precious, a fountain 
might well be secured against all contamina- 
tion. 13. Henna. See note on 1 : 14. 15. 
Fountain of gardens. Like the Abana and 
Pharpar, producing fertile plains, the oasis 
of gardens and orchards in which Damascus 
stands. 

16. Awake, O north wind, etc. Shula- 
mith, taking up the figure suggested by the 
king in the word gardens, refers to herself 
as belonging to her lover, not to the king, and 
desiring that she may be made most satisfying 
to him. 



Ch.V.] 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



33 



CHAP 

1 I AM come into my garden, my sister, my spouse : 
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice ; 1 have 
eaten my honeycomb with my honey ; I have 
drunk my wine with my milk : eat, 0 friends ; 
drink, yea, drink abundantly, 0 beloved. 

2 I sleep, but my heart waketh : it is the voice of 
my beloved that kuocketh, saying. Open to me, my 
sister, my love, my dove, my undetiled : for my 
head is filled with dew, and my locks with the 
drops of the night. 

3 I have put off my coat ; how shall I put it on ? 
I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 

4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the 
door, and my bowels were moved for him. 

5 I rose up to open to my beloved ; and my hands 
dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet 
smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. 

6 I opened to my beloved ; but my beloved had 
withdrawn himself, and was gone : my snul failed 
when he spake : I sought him, but I could not find 
him ; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 

7 The watchmen that went about the city found 
me, they smote me, they wounded me ; the keepers 
of the walls took away my veil from me. 

8 I charge you, 0 daughters of Jerusalem, if ye 
find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of 
love. 



TEE V. 

1 I AM come into my garden, my sister, my bride : 
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice ; 

I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey ; 
I have drunk my wine with my milk. 
Eat, 0 friends ; 

Drink, yea, drink abundantly, 0 beloved. 

2 I was asleep, but my heart waked : 

It is the voice of "my beloved that knocketh, 

saying, 

Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my 

undefiled : 
For my head is filled with dew, 
My locks with the drops of the night. 

3 I have put off my coat ; how shall I put it on ? 

I have washed my feet ; how shall I defile them ? 

4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the 

door, 

And my heart was moved for him. 

5 I rose up to open to my beloved ; 
And my hands dropped with myrrh, 
And my fingers with liquid myrrh, 
Upon the handles of the bolt. 

6 I opened to my beloved ; 

But my beloved had withdrawn himself, and 

was gone. 
My soul had failed me when he spake : 
I sought him, but I could not find him ; 
I called him, but he gave me no answer. 

7 The watchmen that go about the city found me, 
They smote me, they wounded me ; 

The keepers of the "walls took away my mantle 
from me. 

8 I adjure you, 0 daughters of Jerusalem, if ye 

find my beloved, 
That ye tell him, that I am sick of love. 



Chap. 5. 1. Solomon goes on with his 
speech, ignoring the maiden's reference to her 
lover as her rightful possessor. Solomon calls 
her his own garden, applying to her the terms 
"sister "and " bride," often used interchange- 
ably with reference to the wife of a monarch. 

This whole section of the third day well indi- 
cates how difficult, if not impossible, it is to give 
the language any mystical or secondary refer- 
ence to Christ, as typified by Solomon, and the 
church under the guise of the Shulamith. We 
read with wonder the explanatory headings of 
the fourth and fifth chapters in the A. V. : 
" Christ setteth forth the graces of his church. 
He showeth his love to her. The church pray- 
eth to be made fit for his presence. Christ 
awaketh the church with his calling. The 
church having a taste of Christ's love, is sick of 
love. A description of Christ by his graces." If 
this were true, this writer, confessedly of a very 
early age, would have had a prevision of the 
spiritual things of Christianity immeasurably 
in advance of any other writer of the Old Testa- 
ment, and he produced in such a passage as this 
descriptions that could not have failed to be 
used by the inspired men of the New Testament. 
But apart from such considerations, what is 
there in the language itself to suggest any such 
comparison unless by way of remote and frag- 
mentary illustration? How can such details of 



description be forced into signifying the excel- 
lencies of Christ ? Any attempt to apply details 
to the particular " graces " of Christ and the 
church would result as truly in grotesqueness, 
as the common gross and absurd applications of 
the twelfth chapter of Ecclesiastes to the decay 
of the human body are grotesque. The passage 
of the poem that follows in the Fifth day, 
7 : 1-5 is equally impossible if it is "a further 
description of the church's graces " ! 

Fourth day, 5 : 2 to 6 : 3. 2. I was 
asleep, but my heart waked. Again the 
maiden describes a dream. She has seemed to 
hear her lover seeking admission to her house ; 
but in her modesty she has delayed to admit 
him and he has disappeared. The insertion of 
two words, " I answered," between verses 2 and 
3 will show the thought more clearly. 4. The 
hole of the door. By which the latch or bar 
might be removed. 5. Upon the handles. 
Her hand dropping liquid myrrh upon the bolt 
is the symbol of the love, eager and longing, with 
which she would have welcomed him. 6. My 
soul had failed me. With a momentary lack 
of courage she had delayed and the lover had 
departed. 8. I adjure you, etc. This is said 
not with any real expectation that these women 
would find her lover, but rather as a simple and 
earnest confession of her love before those who 
were most ready to heap scorn upon it. 



34 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



[Ch. VI. 



9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 
O thou fairest among women ? what is thy beloved 
more than another beloved, that thou doth so charge 
us? 

10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest 
among ten thousand. 

11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are 
bushy, and black as a raven. 

12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers 
of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. 

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet 
flowers : his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling 
myrrh. 

14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl : 
his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. 

15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sock- 
ets of fine gold : his countenance is as Lebanon, 
excellent as the cedars. 

16 His mouth is most sweet : yea, he is altogether 
lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, 
O daughters of Jerusalem. 



CH APT 

1 WHITHER is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest 
among women? whither is thy beloved turned 
aside ? that we may seek him with thee. 

2 My beloved is gone down into his garden, to 
the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to 
gather lilies. 

3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine : he 
feedeth among the lilies. 

4 Thou art beautiful, 0 my love, as Tirzah, comely 
as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. 

5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have 
overcome me : thy hair is as a ilock of goats that 
appear from Gilead. 

6 Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up 
from the washing, whereof every one beareth twius, 
and there is not one barren among them. 

7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples 
within thy locks. 

8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore 
concubines, and virgins without number. 

9 My dove, my undented is but one ; she is the 
only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her 
that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed 
her ; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they 
praised her. 

10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, 



Chap. 6. Fifth day, 6 : 4 to 8 : 4. 4. 
Tirzah. The first royal city of the northern 
kingdom of Israel until the time of Omri, who 
founded Samaria and made that city the capital of 
his kingdom. The name means " pleasantness " 
or "sweetness," and the place was renowned 
for its beauty. In connection with the mention 
of Jerusalem in the next verse, the two capitals 
of the Hebrew people are brought together as 
the cities around which all the loyalty, rever- 
ence, and admiration of the people were cen- 
tered. Terrible as an army with banners. 
This does not seem a natural simile for a lover 
to apply to his mistress, but all of Solomon's coni- 



9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 
O thou fairest among women ? 
What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 
That thou dost so adjure us ? 

10 My beloved is white and ruddy, 
The chiefest among ten thousand. 

11 His head is as the most fine gold, 

His locks are bushy, and black as a raven. 

12 His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks ; 
Washed with milk, and fitly set. 

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as banks of 

sweet herbs : 
His lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh. 

14 His hands are as rings of gold set with beryl : 
His body is as ivory work overlaid -with sapphires. 

15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets 

of fine gold : 
His aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the 
cedars. 

16 His mouth is most sweet : yea, he is altogether 

lovely. 

This is my beloved, and this is my friend, 
O daughters of Jerusalem. 

EE VI. 

1 WHITHER is thy beloved gone, 
O thou fairest among women ? 
Whither hath thy beloved turned him, 
That we may seek him with thee ? 

2 My beloved is gone down to his garden, to the 

beds of spices, 
To feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. 

3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine : 
He feedeth his flock among the lilies. 

4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, 
Comely as Jerusalem, 

Terrible as an army with banners. 

5 Turn away thine eyes from me, 
For they have overcome me. 
Thy hair is as a flock of goats, 
That lie along the side of Gilead. 

6 Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, 
Which are come up from the washing ; 
Whereof every one hath twins, 

And none is bereaved among them. 

7 Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate 
Behind thy veil. 

8 There are "threescore queens, and fourscore con- 

cubines, 
And virgins without number. 

9 My dove, my undefiled, is but one ; 
She is the only one of her mother ; 

She is the choice one of her that bare her. 
The daughters saw her, and called her blessed ; 
Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they 
praised her. 

10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, 
Fair as the moon, 



parisons are such as a king might make. Here 
he means that her beauty is absolutely irresist- 
ible. 8. Threescore queens, etc. From 1 
Kings II : 3 we know that this statement, poetic 
and rhythmic, was far exceeded by the facts. 
In contrast Shulamith stands alone, as declared 
in ver. 9. 9. My dove, my undefiled, is 
but one. Even the queens themselves praised 
her, as indeed they did when in the presence 
of Solomon but at no other time, for the sake of 
flattering the king and winning his favor. 10. 
If we supply the word "saying" before this 
verse, it is made the speech of the women as 
quoted by Solomon. 



Ch. VI.] 



THE SONG 



OF SONGS 



35 



fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as 
an army with banners ? 

11 1 went down into the garden of nuts to see the 
fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine 
flourished, and the pomegranates budded. 

12 Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the 
chariots of Ammiiiadib. 

13 Return, return, O Shulamite ; return, return, 
that we may look upon thee. What will ye see iu 
the Shulamite? As it were the company of two 
armies. 



11. I went down, etc. It is not necessary 
to suppose, with some, that the king's gardens 
in the valleys below Jerusalem are intended. 
Nearly every town in the East is upon a hill- 
top, and the gardens lie beneath the walls upon 
the slopes and in the valleys. Thus these were 
the gardens just outside the walls of her native 
place, Shulem. 12. Or ever 1 was aware. 
She recalls the scene in her northern home at 
the time of her capture, and tells of the surprise 
and fright with which she found herself sur- 
rounded by the king's servants and their char- 
iots. My soul. My desire, my wish to go 
forth from the safe precincts of home and town. 
Chariots of my princely people. E. V. 
Margin, reads, "Or, made me like the chariots 
of Ammiuadib," as in the A. V., a reading that 
seems to be entirely void of meaning. The pas- 
sage is confessedly the most difficult one in the 
poem. The Hebrew word is Amminadib. If 
the term is not a proper name, and if the direc- 
tion of the Masora is correct, to read it as two 
words, it means " my princely, or willing peo- 
ple." The Septuagint reads Aminadab, a proper 
name. The Vulgate reads as two words: "my 
willing people." Luther keeps the Hebrew form 
of the words but evidently as a proper name. 
If we note that the Septuagint spells the term 
with one m and gives the final syllable a for i, 
Aminadab ; and if we combine with this peculi- 
arity the fact that a reference to Mahanaim im- 
mediately follows (ver. is), may we not find the 
clue to the difficulty ? A very slight change in 
one letter will make the reading Ahinadab, and 
Ahinadab was Solomon's chief officer, the pur- 
veyor for the palace, stationed at Mahanaim 
(i King« 4 : 7, i4, 27). To such officers must have 
fallen the duty of providing inmates for the 
king's palace, and it may easily be understood 
that Ahinadab, upon some excursion to the 
vicinity of Shulem, came upon this girl in the 
gardens by the wayside and carried her away to 
Jerusalem. Thus she remembers how her un- 
guarded desire to wander in the gardens resulted 
in her surprise there by the king's officer, Ahin- 
adab, the source of all her woes. The mention 



Clear as the sun, 

Terrible as an army with banners? 

11 I went down into the garden of nuts. 
To see the green plants of the valley, 
To see whether the vine budded, 
And the pomegranates were in flower. 

12 Or ever I was aware, my soul set me 
Among the chariots of my princely people. 

13 Return, return, O Shulamite; 

Return, return, that we may look upon thee. 

Why will ye look upon the Shulamite, 
As upon the dance of Mahanaim ? 

of Ahinadab suggests the thought of Mahanaim 
to the women, who immediately proceed to urge 
Shulamith to dance, as the well-known dance of 
Mahanaim would fully display her charms. 

13. Return, return. The usual meaning 
of this Hebrew word is " return," as here trans- 
lated, and if we so read it, we must suppose Shu- 
lamith withdrawing, when her companions call 
out to her to come back. But in many instances 
the Hebrew word is used to mean simply a turn- 
ing, either of body or mind, without reference to 

the former position (Judg. 3 : 19 ; 1 Kings 13 : 33 ; 3 Kings 
9 : 18 ; 23 : 25, 26 ; Isa. 5 : 25 ; 9 : 12, 13 ; 10 : 4, etc. ) and 

some interpreters see in it a call to the maiden 
to turn, or whirl in the dance. Thus it is trans- 
lated "Turn, turn," by Daland ; "Turn about, 
turn about," by Curtiss, Oettli, Graetz, and 
others. The more usual Hebrew word for this 
would be win, chuli, instead of shubi. 
The B. V. reads "Beturn," and accordingly our 
text assumes that Shulamith is withdrawing. 
But the following words of the women, "that 
we may look upon thee," and their immediate 
demand for "the dance of Mahanaim," give 
much force to the other view. Why will ye 
look, etc. Terry translates : " What will ye 
gaze at in the Shulamite?" and B. V. "Why 
will ye look upon the Sulamite as upon the 
dance of Mahanaim?" Graetz, "What would 
ye gaze at in the Shulamite as in a dancer of the 
doubleband dance?" We prefer to regard the 
suggestion of the dance as coming from the 
women, and as distasteful to the modest Shu- 
lamite. The women say, " We would look upon 
thee in the dance of Mahanaim. What this 
dance was can perhaps be best gathered from 
the description that follows, showing that the 
person of the dancer was freely exposed. Pos- 
sibly there is a reference to the event recorded 
in Gen. 32 : 1-3, Mahanaim meaning, "two 
hosts, or camps," from which some semi-relig- 
ious custom may have grown up in Mahanaim, 
well known as the dance of that place. Many 
commentators believe that the Shulamite actu- 
ally danced, and that the description follow- 
ing is a description of her charms, as actually 



36 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



[Ch. VII. 



CHAPTER VII. 



1 HOW beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O 
prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are 
like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning 
workman. 

2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth 
not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set 
about with lilies. 

3 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that 
are twins. 

4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory ; thine eyes like 
the rishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrab- 
bim : thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which 
looketh toward Damascus. 

5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the 
hair of thine head like purple ; the king is held in 
the galleries. 

6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, 
for delights ! 

7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy 
breasts to clusters of grapes. 

8 I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take 
hold of the boughs thereof : now also thy breasts 
shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of 
thy nose like apples ; 

9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine 



displayed. With more refinement Griffissays: 
" The courtiers of Solomon, looking upon this 
living tableau of maidenly loveliness, declare 
that the young girl's airy, fairy motions remind 
them of Jacob's celestial visitants. The sight of 
her is that of angelic beauty and heavenly win- 
someness, recalling the ascending and descend- 
ing of the angels upon the ladder or stairs from 
earth to heaven." But the description that fol- 
lows, which evidently is that of a person in the 
dance, whether the Shulamite danced or not, 
hardly accords with angelic comparisons. Bet- 
ter is it simply to understand that there was 
some dance connected with the place Maha- 
naim, as often with particular localities. Elisha 
was born at a place called " the meadow of 
dancing" (i Kings 19 : 16), and Shiloh had a festi- 
val with dancing (Judg. 21 : 21). The mention of 
Ahinadab suggested Mahanaim and its dance. 
Eagerly the women urge Shulamith thus to dis- 
play her charms. But it is inconceivable that 
the modest maiden did so. The description of 
her charms that follows is in the hope of inciting 
her to display them for their entertainment and 
in order that the king may be wrought up to the 
highest pitch of desire, and the tender Shulamith, 
whom the women hate as so superior to them- 
selves, be subdued and degraded from her pin- 
nacle of virtue, and brought to their own level. 

As upon the dance, etc. The speech of the 
women, in answer to Shulamith's question. 



Chap. 7. 1. Thy feet in sandals. Al- 
ways in dancing the feet were bare. There is a 
keen mockery in the words, the brown feet of the 



1 HOW beautiful are thy feet in sandals, O prince's 

daughter ! 
The joints of thy thighs are like jewels, 
The work of the hands of a cunning workman. 

2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, 
Wherein no mingled wine is wanting: 
Thy belly is like an heap of wheat 
Set about with lilies. 

3 Thy two breasts are like two fawns 
That are twins of a roe. 

4 Thy neck is like the tower of ivory ; 

Thine eyes as the pools in Heshbon, by the gate 

of Bathrabbim ; 
Thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon 
Which looketh toward Damascus. 

5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, 
And the hair of thine head like purple ; 
The king is held captive in the tresses thereof. 

6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, 

0 love, for delights ! 

7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, 
And thy breasts to clusters of grapes. 

8 I said, I will climb up into the palm tree, 

1 will take hold of the branches thereof : 
Let thy breasts be as clusters of the vine, 
And the smell of thy breath like apples ; 

9 And thy mouth like' the best wine, 



maiden, little like those of a prince's daugh- 
ter, being beautiful only when half hidden in 
sandals ! The king, like any other daft lover, 
hears the praise and misses the scorn. 2. Na- 
vel. The word thus translated occurs in this 
form, an active participle, only in this place. 
Wherever it is used for navel it is in another 
form. Daland reads, "Thy turnings are circu- 
lar movements," and Griffis, "Thy round dan- 
cings are perfect circles," the word translated 
"goblet " in A. V. and R. V., meaning properly 
a trough for washing by treading with the feet, 
and so any round vessel. But this would make a 
break in the poetic description of bodily beauty, 
the only exception of the whole passage. We 
may translate as follows : " Thy curves are like 
a perfect cup, wherein no mingled wine is want- 
ing"; that is, a cup filled with rosy mixture, 
the whole signifying the rosy roundness of the 
youthful figure. 4. Pools in Heshbon, etc. 
Heshbon, formerly belonging to the Amorites, 
was a city of Solomon's kingdom, situated about 
five hours to the east of the northern end of the 
Dead Sea. Outside its gate still remain the 
ruins of a large reservoir, doubtless famous in 
its time. The gate Bath-rabbim means the gate 
of the daughter of multitudes, that is, of the 
populous city. 5. The king is held captive. 
With these words the women excite the king to 
the utmost. He interrupts their speech («r. 6), 
and declares his purpose to take possession of this 
beautiful " palm tree." As he approaches her, 
saying, 9. Thy mouth like the best wine, 
ruddy, fragrant, satisfying, intoxicating, Simla- 
mith glides quickly from him, and interrupts. 



Ch. VIII.] 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



37 



for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing 
the lips of those that are asleep to speak. 

10 I am my beloved's, and nis desire is toward 
me. 

11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the 
field ; let us lodge in the villages. 

12 Let us get up early to trie vineyards ; let us 
see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape 
appear, and the pomegranates bud forth : there 
will I give thee my loves. 

13 The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates 
are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, 
which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved. 



CHAPTE 

1 O THAT thou wert as my brother, that sucked 
the breasts of my mother ! when I should rind thee 
without, I would kiss thee ; yea, I should not be 
despised. 

2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my 
mother's house, who would instruct me : I would 
cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of 
my pomegranate. 

3 His left hand should be under my head, and his 
right hand should embrace me. 

4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that 
ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please. 

5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilder- 
ness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up 
under the apple tree : there thy mother brought 
thee forth : there she brought thee forth that bare 
thee. 

6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal 
upon thine arm : for love is strong as death ; jeal- 
ousy is cruel as the grave : the coals thereof are 
coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. 

7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can 
the floods drown it : if a man would give all the 
substance of his house for love, it would utterly be 
condemned. 

8 We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts : 
what shall we do for our sister in the day when she 
shall be spoken for? 

9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a pal- 



For my beloved. All the satisfaction was 
for her lover, to whom she would yet be mod- 
estly true. Gliding, etc. Delitzsch translates : 
" Which makes the lips of sleepers move," as in 
delightful dreams. 10. I am my beloved's. 
Thus she finally dismisses the appeals of the 
king and in the following lines once more 
turns in tender appeal to her absent lover. 



Chap. 8. 1. As my brother. If he were her 
own brother her caresses, that she longs to bestow, 
would not be considered immodest. 4. I adjure 
you. The final repetition of the refrain, express- 
ing the lesson of the poem. Love must be natural 
and true, the holiest of human emotions. 



That goeth down smoothly for my beloved, 
Gliding through the lips of those that are asleep. 

10 I am my beloved's, 

And his desire is toward me. 

11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field ; 
Let us lodge in the villages. 

12 Let us get up early to the vineyards ; 

Let us see whether the vine hath budded, and 

its blossom be open, 
And the pomegranates be in flower : 
There will I give thee my love. 

13 The mandrakes give forth fragrance, 

And at our doors are all manner of precious 

fruits, new and old, 
Which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved. 

K VIII. 

1 OH that thou wert as my brother, 
That sucked the breasts of my mother ! 

When I should find thee without, I would kiss 
thee ; 

Yea, and none would despise me. 

2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my moth- 

er's house, 
Who would instruct me ; 
I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, 
Of the juice of my pomegranate. 

3 His left hand should be under my head, 
And his right hand should embrace me. 

4 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, 
That ye stir not up, nor awaken love, 
Until it please. 

5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, 
Leaning upon her beloved ? 

Under the apple tree I awakened thee : 
There thy mother was in travail with thee, 
There was she in travail that brought thee forth. 

6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon 

thine arm : 
For love is strong as death ; 
Jealousy is cruel as the grave : 
The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, 
A very flame of the Lord. 

7 Many waters cannot quench love, 
Neither can the floods drown it: 

If a man would give all the substance of his 

house for love, 
He would utterly be contemned. 

8 We have a little sister, 
And she hath no breasts : 
What shall we do for our sister 

In the day when she shall be spoken for? 

9 If she be a wall, 

We will build upon her a turret of silver : 



Sixth day, 8 : 5-14. 5. Who is this, etc. 
The king has left her, and she imagines herself 
set free, returned by the king's command to 
her home, and met by her lover outside of the 
village. To the end of ver. 7 the words are 
an amplification of the refrain, ver. 6 and 7 
being an especially beautiful tribute to the 
strength and value of an undying affection. 8. 
We have a little sister. Apparently Shu- 
lamith breaks out into a snatch of folk song, 
which celebrates the feeling of brothers with 
respect to the disposition in marriage of their 
sister, as yet a mere girl, of unmarriageable 
age. 9. If she be a wall, etc. If she 
shows herself modest and repelling all advances, 



38 



ace of silver : and if she be a door, we will inclose 
her with boards of cedar. 

10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers : then 
was I in his eyes as one that found favour. 

11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon ; he 
let out the vineyard unto keepers ; every one for 
the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of 
silver. 

12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me : 
thou, O Solomon, must have sl thousand, and those 
that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. 

13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the com- 
panions hearken to thy voice : cause me to hear it. 

14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a 
roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices. 



protecting herself from rude approach, then they 
would add to her defenses the honor and adorn- 
ments of their brotherly care and affection. If 
she be a door, easily admitting those who 
seek her, immodest and yielding, then they will 
build cedar boards around her, to imprison and 
keep her pure by force. 10. I am a wall. 
She has grown to a splendid maturity and been 
put to the severest test. And she proudly de- 
clares herself like the wall, unyielding, un- 
broken. Her maidenly charms stand untouched 
by any assault, and proud in the consciousness 
of virtue, though she had been tempted with 
the greatest offers that even a king could make. 
In his eyes as one that found peace. 
Perhaps in the eyes of her lover, who could find 
no fault in her (Esther 2 : n) ; more likely, in the 
eyes of Solomon, who was at last overcome by 
her splendid virtue, and had relinquished her, 



[Ch. VIII. 



And if she be a door, 

We will enclose her with boards of cedar. 

10 I am a wall, and my breasts like the towers 

thereof: 

Then was I in his eyes as one that found peace. 

11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon ; 
He let out the vineyard unto keepers ; 

Every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a 
thousand pieces of silver. 

12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me : 
Thou, O Solomon, shalt have the thousand, 
And those that keep the fruit thereof two hun- 
dred. 

13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, 
The companions hearken for thy voice : 
Cause me to hear it. 

14 Make haste, my beloved, 
And be thou like to a roe or to a young hart 
Upon the mountains of spices. 



bestowing upon her thus a rarer gift than a par- 
ticipation in his throne, and giving to himself 
the unwonted sensation of self-control and rev- 
erence for such noble womanhood. 

11. A vineyard at Baalhamon. A place 
near Dothan and not far from Shulem. Solo- 
mon gave his vineyard over to keepers, tak- 
ing from them a rental ; but the maiden has 
kept her vineyard, her person and love, in her 
own possession, tempted by no offers of gain. 
13. Thou that dwellest in the gardens. 
Her lover, upon whom she calls in delighted 
anticipation, knowing that although she yet 
lingers in the palace she shall soon see him, and 
hear his voice to which others, more happy than 
she, already listen. 14. Upon the moun- 
tains of spices. No longer the mountains of 
Bether, or separation, difficulty, but mountains 
of secluded and unalloyed delights. 



THE SONG OF SONGS 



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